SAN DIEGO - The unemployment rate in San Diego County last month was 8.6 percent, down from a revised 8.5 percent the previous month and 9.8 percent in the same period a year ago, the state Employment Development Department reported today.

Statewide, the unemployment rate in October was 9.8 percent; and nationally, the jobless rate was 7.5 percent. The numbers are not seasonally adjusted.

In San Diego County, 137,000 people were unemployed last month out of a total job force of more than 1.6 million, up about 1.3 percent from September's revised figures, but down 11.8 percent from the same period last year, according to the EDD.

The government sector reported the largest employment bump between September and October, led by local governments, Advertisement

[ Christ the King Lutheran Church ] which added 4,200 jobs, primarily in local educational positions. State governments added 2,800 jobs, while the federal government job level remained unchanged.

The professional and business services industry gained 3,100 positions between September and October. The EDD reported that the trade, transportation and utilities industry added 2,600 jobs, and 1,400 positions were added in education and health services.

The leisure and hospitality industry reported a decline of 3,700 jobs, with jobs in accommodation and food services accounting for 2,600 of those losses.

8,900 non-farm jobs were added between September and October, part of a total of 23,500 jobs that were added between October 2011 and October 2012. 100 new agricultural jobs were added between October of 2011 and last month, according to the EDD.