LI ekes out gain of 2,700 jobs

Long Island had 2,700 more jobs in December than in the same month a year earlier, the state Labor Department said Thursday afternoon.

The private sector gained 8,800 jobs year-over-year. But the loss of 6,100 government jobs cut the overall employment increase.

The private education and health-care services category showed the most gains, up 5,500 jobs from a year ago.

The department focuses on year-over-year comparisons because local data aren’t adjusted to account for monthly, seasonal fluctuations.

The Labor Department will release the December unemployment rate on Tuesday. The jobless rate rose to 7.1 percent in November, from 6.8 percent a year earlier.