Maine’s unemployment rate went up in September for the third straight month as the state lost 2,500 jobs in one month.

But the state Department of Labor is not sending out an alert that the economy is faltering.

To the contrary, the department is emphasizing a pattern of “slowly improving labor market conditions” that keep the unemployment rate a half-percentage point below the September 2003 mark and below the national level of 5.4 percent.

“While the number of jobs and the unemployment rate have been fluctuating recently, the long-term trend is one of slow job growth and lower unemployment,” said state Labor Commissioner Laura Fortman on Friday.

Between September 2003 and last month, Maine gained 5,300 seasonally adjusted nonfarm wage and salary jobs, according to Labor Department statistics. Gains were experienced six of the past seven months, including a 3,400-position jump between July and August.

“It hasn’t been rapid growth but it’s been slow growth,” said Dana Evans, an analyst with the Labor Department’s Labor Market Information Services. “It’s been slow growth nationally. We’ve mirrored the national jobs growth.”

Unemployment benefit claims also have declined, according to the Labor Department.

The number of Mainers drawing unemployment benefits for a full week dropped 26 percent, while the average duration of unemployment insurance claims fell from 17.8 weeks to 16.3 weeks.

“People are finding it a little bit easier to find a job,” Evans said.

The jobs are in retail trade, construction, health care and social assistance, leisure and hospitality services, and professional and business services.

Partly offsetting the job gains are losses in the manufacturing sector.