RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s unemployment rate fell to 3.3% for June, the state Commerce Department said on Friday, continuing a slow decline that began late last year.

May’s seasonally adjusted rate was 3.4%. The last month-over-month increase based on revised figures occurred last August, when the rate reached 3.9%. The U.S. rate in June was 3.6%.

The commerce office reported that the number of employed people in the state grew by 14,580 during June to almost 5.05 million, while those unemployed dropped by 3,060 to 172,680.

Based on another counting format from monthly worksite surveys, the department said seasonally adjusted total nonfarm employment grew by 4,900 to almost 4.91 million workers. The business and professional services sector and the manufacturing sector reported the largest numerical employment growth based on the surveys.