The Massachusetts unemployment rate dropped to 5.1 percent in January, its lowest reported level since May 2008, according to the Office of Labor and Workforce Development.

The Bay State’s jobless rate sits well below the national jobless rate in January 5.7 percent. The Massachusetts unemployment rate was 6.1 percent in January 2014. In December 2014, the revised jobless rate was 5.3 percent.

Over the month, the Bay State added 2,600 jobs with private sector gains of 800 in six of the nine sectors. Over the year, the number of jobs grew by 68,000 with 56,600 private sector job gains in all sectors except manufacturing. Education and health services; professional, scientific and business services; and trade, transportation and utilities had the largest gains over the year.