Minnesota’s jobless rate has continued to decline to 6.6 percent in March, according to a report from the state’s Department of Employment and Economic Development released Thursday.

The rate slid down .1 percent from January and February, thanks to growth of 2,800 jobs in March.

Sectors that grew throughout the month were hospitality and leisure, education and health services and manufacturing. Perhaps the most surprising growing industry is construction – the sector lost 2,200 over the past year, but gained 1,200 in March alone.

The overall unemployment rate across the nation in March was 8.8 percent.

“The March figures reflect a continuing pattern of slow but steady progress in the Minnesota labor market,” DEED Commissioner Mark Phillips said in the report.