TRENTON – The state’s unemploymenet rate dipped to 9.7 percent in October, down .1 percentage point from September, the state Labor Department reported Thursday.

The state said that preliminary estimates indicate that total nonfarm wage and salary employment in New Jersey contracted in October by 11,700 jobs, to a seasonally adjusted 3,892,200.

Private-sector employment grew by 25,600 jobs from October 2011 to this October, the state reported.

The state said that since February 2010, private-sector employment has grown by 73,600 jobs.

The Labor Department reported that based on more complete reporting from employers, previously released September estimates were revised lower, down by 1,500 jobs, to show an over-the-month (August – September) total nonfarm employment loss of 2,700 jobs. Preliminary estimates had indicated an over-the-month loss of 1,200 jobs.

The national jobless rate is 7.9 percent.

Lower employment levels were recorded in both the private (-9,400) and public (-2,300) sectors of the state’s economy.