Indiana employment ended 2006 with slight uptick

State job numbers rose 0.3 percent in December from the same month last year, according to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.

The 2,986,300 nonfarm jobs were down slightly from November but in line with a long-term trend of plodding growth.

The Indianapolis area also maintained a steady upward pace, increasing 0.8 percent from December 2005 to reach 902,500 positions.