HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate dropped in October for the first time in five months while payrolls expanded slightly.

The state Department of Labor and Industry estimated Thursday that the rate edged down to 8.1 percent from 8.3 percent in September.

Pennsylvania’s post-recession high was 8.8 percent in 2010, and had improved to 7.4 percent in May before it slid for four months.

Nationally, the unemployment rate for October was 9 percent.

Meanwhile, the department said a separate survey of employers showed that the number of nonfarm jobs rose by an estimated 13,800 in October, to nearly 5.7 million. However, job growth has been stagnant for much of the year.

Payrolls peaked at above 5.8 million in 2008, but payrolls dropped below 5.6 million after the recession began in December 2007.