The East Bay unemployment rate ticked up a tenth of a percentage point last month even though the region added 3,200 jobs.
The state Employment Development Department reported the East Bay jobless rate rose from 8.5 percent in September to 8.6 percent in October.
Alameda County's rate stayed the same at 8.6 percent while Contra Costa County's rate rose from 8.4 percent in September to 8.5 percent last month.
Cindy Sugrue, a labor market consultant for the EDD, said the main reason for the slight increase was that more people entered the labor force last month.
The East Bay work force rose from 970,400 in September to 973,600 last month. That's the largest October work force on record.
East Bay employers added 3,200 jobs in October. Education and health fields added 2,400 while government offices added 1,000 and leisure and hospitality showed a gain of 700.
Financial services and manufacturing lost 500 jobs each.
Most communities saw no change in their jobless rates.
Oakland had an unemployment rate of 13.1 percent (26,900 people), while Piedmont showed a jobless rate of 4.5 percent (200 people).
