The state Commerce Department released the data Friday, the last look before Election Day into the state's unemployment rate's direction.

 

The number of people employed increased by nearly 30,000 in September to 4.2 million. About 62,000 more are drawing paychecks than this time last year when the state unemployment rate was 10.7 percent.

 

The number of people unemployed fell by 3,500 to less than 450,000.