(RALEIGH) -- The Employment Security Commission reported Thursday that the state's unemployment rate in January was 9.9 percent, up slightly from 9.8 percent in December. The good news is some employers are beginning to hire.

Larry Parker with the Employment Security Commission said about 4,500 jobs were added in January. "When employers are hiring temporarily, of course, the big home is that that will turn into work for these workers, but at least, none the less, employers are hiring at least temporarily.  That is a good sign in that sense," said Parker.

Those added jobs were not enough to counter a persistently sluggish job market. The number of people unemployed and looking for work rose by nearly 3,400. The trade, transportation and utilities sector of the economy added about 11,300 jobs since December, but other industries shed positions.