State jobless rate up to 3.9 percent

The state's unemployment rate has edged up for a fifth straight month.

The state Office of Labor and Workforce Development said the April jobless rate of 3.9 percent was up from 3.6 percent in March. The rate had dropped to as low as 2.9 percent in November.

The state continues to add jobs, though. Preliminary estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show an increase of 3,900 jobs last month.

State officials said the state's labor force has also been increasing in recent months, an indication that more people may be returning to the workforce and looking for jobs.