OLYMPIA — Despite an estimated 6,800 new jobs created from October 2014 to November 2014, Washington’s unemployment rate rose for a third month in a row to 6.2 percent, according to preliminary and seasonally adjusted numbers released today by the state Employment Security Department.

The national unemployment rate remained unchanged at 5.8 percent.

State labor economist Paul Turek says the increase in the number of new job seekers entering into the labor market’s civilian workforce demonstrates on-going faith in a recovering economy.

“While Washington’s unemployment rate increased again this month, the larger trend is the steady increase in the state’s civilian workforce and continued job growth month-over-month and year-over-year,” Turek said.

According to estimates by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of unemployed people rose by 6,700 in November 2014 compared to October 2014. At the same time, the number of employed people rose by an estimated 6,800.

Overall, this amounted to an increase of 13,500 people in the labor force.

The number of people in Washington’s labor force has increased by 51,400 from November 2013 to November 2014, but the number of unemployed has dropped by 17,700. The unemployment rate in November 2013 was 6.8 percent.

Over the one-year period ending in November, the department estimates that employers added nearly 82,700 jobs statewide on a non-seasonally adjusted basis. This includes a gain of 72,600 private-sector and 10,100 government jobs.

Month over month, seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment rose by 6,800 with the private sector adding 10,200 jobs and the public sector losing 3,400 jobs from October 2014 to November 2014.

October’s preliminary estimated gain of 5,600 jobs was revised to a gain of 9,900 jobs.

November was a good month for construction, education and health services and professional and business services with those sectors gaining 3,300, 2,100 and 2,000 jobs respectively.

Wholesale trade gained 1,800 jobs; other services saw an increase of 1,500 jobs and financial services, information and mining, and logging had increases of 700, 400 and 100 jobs respectively.

Government lost 3,400 jobs in November followed by a 600-job decline in the leisure and hospitality sector. Transportation, warehousing and utilities lost 500 jobs while manufacturing and retail trade lost 400 and 200 jobs respectively.

An estimated 215,500 people (seasonally adjusted) in Washington were unemployed and looking for work in November, and 70,125 of them received unemployment benefits.

Unemployed workers can inquire about employment opportunities that are available through their local WorkSource career centers.

WorkSource is a statewide partnership of state, local and nonprofit agencies that deliver a wide array of employment and training services, including free help with interviewing skills, résumés, and job referrals.

Locations of local WorkSource offices are listed online at www.go2worksource.com.