(RALEIGH) -- North Carolina's unemployment rate dropped in January to 10.2 percent.  That's according to the latest figures released Tuesday morning by the State Division of Employment Security.

The state gained 17,000 nonfarm jobs in January. This helped push the Jobless rate down two-tenths of a point from December's 10.4 percent rate.

“We are encouraged by total job growth since this time last year and the job gains in January,” said N.C. Department of Commerce Deputy Secretary Dale Carroll. “There were job increases in a majority of the job sectors.”

Since January 2011, private sector jobs have increased by 55,400. Over-the-year, professional & business services had the largest job gain with 13,900.