Minnesota employers added 5,900 jobs in September and unemployment fell to 5.8 percent, both numbers in line with a rapid drop in the national unemployment rate in the month.

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development also said the August job losses were smaller than initially reported, with the number of lost jobs falling from 2,000 to 700.

The monthly jobs report is the latest in a series of positive reports about the economy. National retail sales were healthy in September, the national unemployment rate fell below 8 percent for the first time since 2009, and housing starts were up a whopping 15 percent.

The education and health care sectors led the charge in Minnesota, adding 5,600 jobs on the month, DEED said. Leisure and hospitality added 3,300 and construction added 1,500, perhaps reflecting a stronger housing market.

Manufacturing continues to be weak, shedding 2,500 jobs in the state. The information sector lost 1,500 jobs.

"Minnesota has recovered nearly 90,000 jobs since hitting the low point of the recession three years ago last month," said Blake Chaffee, DEED director of communications. "The labor market has been steadily improving since then, but we still have more work to do."