Minnesota's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate totaled 7 percent in September-reflecting no change from the previous month-according to data released Thursday by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).

The national unemployment rate also remained unchanged from August, totaling 9.6 percent in September.

The state trimmed 9,900 jobs during September-compared to the addition of 600 jobs in August-but overall employment in the state has grown 1.1 percent during the past year. U.S. employment has grown 0.2 percent during the same period.

DEED Commissioner Dan McElroy said in a statement that September's employment figures are “a reminder that economic recoveries are uneven,” citing growth in certain sectors that have been sluggish in previous months-such as construction industry, which gained 3,100 jobs, more than it has added since April 2005.

Other industries that added jobs during September include transportation and utilities (up 1,400), information (up 900), financial activities (up 200), and manufacturing-which gained 1,300 jobs, marking the fourth consecutive month of growth.

Many sectors, however, lost jobs during September: business services (down 4,000), government (down 3,800), leisure and hospitality (down 3,500), education and health care (down 2,900), other services (down 2,500), and mining and logging (down 100).

During the past year, the private sector has added 33,000 jobs, service industries are up 24,400, and goods-producing industries have gained 3,400. The largest year-over-year gains have occurred in education and health services and professional business services, which have added 13,400 jobs and 10,400 jobs, respectively.

The following industries have lost jobs during the past 12 months: other services (down 6,800), construction (down 5,900), government (down 5,200), and financial activities (down 900).

Among the state's five metro areas, Rochester has seen the largest employment growth during the past year, up 1.5 percent. The Duluth-Superior area has grown 1.2 percent, and Mankato is up 0.9 percent. The Twin Cities and St. Cloud have each seen job growth of 0.3 percent over the past year.