Los Angeles County posted a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 6.1 percent in January, down from 6.7 percent a year ago and 6.5 percent in December.

The decline mirrored a statewide fall in the unemployment rate, as California’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 5.8 percent in January, down from 6.5 percent a year ago and 6 percent in December, according to labor market data released today by California’s Employment Development Department.

Employment gains in the construction trades, up 10.8 percent year-over-year in January, offset losses in the county’s apparel sector, which lost more than 6,000 jobs, 9.4 percent, in the 12 months ended Jan. 30. Other sectors in the county that saw declining employment were the motion picture and sound industries, together down 8.7 percent over last year. There were 121,000 people employed in those areas in L.A. County in January.

The greatest employment growth was found among many of the smaller segments, including higher education, which grew 9 percent over last year to 43,500; accounting, tax preparation and bookkeeping, which grew 7.8 percent to 39,900; and activities related to credit information, which grew 11.9 percent to 15,100.