The state added 5,600 non-farm jobs in November and gained 42,200 over the year, the state labor department reported Thursday.

The biggest monthly gain, on a non-seasonally adjusted basis, was in the New Orleans metropolitan area, which added 1,600 jobs. All metro areas experienced overall growth except for the Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux and Lafayette metro areas, which, respectively, held steady or lost jobs over the month.

Statewide, the service-providing sector added 6,700 jobs over the month and 40,300 over the year. Goods-producing employment fell by 1,100 over the month but grew by 1,900 over the year, the department reported.

Total non-farm employment stood at 1.9 million jobs.

Overall, the seasonally adjusted state unemployment rate was 3.5 percent. That compares to 3.3 percent in October and 4.3 percent in November 2006. Nationally, the unemployment rate was 4.7 percent last month.

Patty Lopez, a labor market analyst with the department, said this remains positive news for the state, parts of which are still recovering from the 2005 hurricanes. She called it a job-seekers' market" in which "anyone who really wants to find a job, can."

"We're starting 2008 strong," she said, adding that the New Orleans area is essentially the only metro region tracked by the department to have yet to surpass its August 2005 non-farm employment. Hurricane Katrina hit that month, followed by Hurricane Rita a month later. Overall, she said, "We're on a good footing."

Here's a look at non-seasonlly adjusted job growth over the last year in the goods- and service-producing sectors among metro areas:

-- 2,400 jobs in the goods-producing sector and 12,800 in the service-providing sector in the New Orleans region

-- 1,900 jobs in the goods-producing sector and 6,900 in the service-providing sector in the Baton Rouge area

-- 300 jobs in the goods-producing sector and 400 in the service-providing sector in the Alexandria area

-- 1,000 jobs in the goods-producing sector and 1,700 in the service-providing sector in the Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux area

-- 100 jobs in the goods-producing sector and 1,700 in the service-providing sector in the Lafayette area

-- 400 jobs in the goods-producing sector and 2,100 in the service-providing sector in the Lake Charles area

-- steady in the goods-producing sector and 500 in the service-providing sector in the Monroe area

-- 300 jobs in the goods-producing sector and 3,400 in the service-providing sector in the Shreveport-Bossier area.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)