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Both Oregon and the Portland-metropolitan area showed increases in employment through April, while the nation as a whole took a step back.

Oregon’s unemployment rate dropped to a seasonally adjusted 9.6 percent at the end of April, down from 9.9 percent in March, while the national unemployment rate increased from 8.8 percent to 9 percent over the same time period, according to statistics released by Work Source Oregon. The Portland area also saw a decrease, falling from 9.3 percent to 8.9 percent over the month of April.

This marks only the second month since January of 2009 that the unemployment rate has been below 10 percent, and only the third time the Portland area has dipped below that threshold.

Across the state, construction employment increased by 0.6 percent, a total of 400 jobs, over the last month, and 1.9 percent, or 1,300 jobs, since April of 2010. Manufacturing employment has seen a 3 percent increase since April 2010, adding 5,000 jobs, and increased 0.7 percent over the last month, adding 1,200 jobs.

All of these are positive developments from a state, and metropolitan area, that has consistently trailed the national average in unemployment since the beginning of 2009.