(ABC 6 News) – The Department of Employment and Economic Development says the state gained 800 jobs overall from November to December.

The state’s unemployment rate also dropped to just under 3% and is lower than the national average of 3.7%

The leisure and hospitality, trade and transportation sectors saw some of the biggest gains last month.

Last week, the number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell to its lowest level in more than a year.

The labor department reports jobless claim applications fell to 187,000, 16,000 less than the previous week and the fewest since September of 2022.

The data shows over 1.8 million Americans collect jobless benefits.