Unemployment in the Pittsburgh region fell last month to 8.3 percent, down a half of a percentage point from the recession high of 8.8 percent recorded in February.

The Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Allegheny and the six surrounding counties, not only gained 7,700 jobs in June but showed a year-over-year increase from June 2009 of 4,800 jobs. The unemployment rate dropped three-tenths of a percentage point from May.

Craig Thomas, an economist at Pittsburgh-based PNC Financial Services, called the gain in jobs part of the "half-speed recovery." He said nationally the economy is showing signs of improvement in fits and starts.

"The recovery in jobs has been slower than what had been anticipated," Mr. Thomas said.

Over time, he said, if the national economy adds jobs in increments of about 150,000 a month, or even twice that, the unemployment rate will slowly come down.

"It truly takes time to get that down to what you would call a more normal level around 5 percent," he said.

The region's unemployment rate has been bouncing up and down for the first six months of the year, but overall it has remained above the levels of 2009 and is nearly twice that seen in 2007 before the recession officially began.

The 8.3 percent unemployment rate for the metropolitan statistical area remains below the state rate of 9.2 percent and the national rate of 9.5 percent.

Monthly job gains were scattered across industries, with 1,000 jobs gained in specialty construction trades, which, according to the state Department of Labor and Industry, is typical of construction trades in June.

While manufacturing and construction sectors showed increases of 200 and 900 jobs respectively, both sectors were down from June 2009. Manufacturing lost 3,400 jobs over the year, and construction lost 400 jobs. Only the sector that includes mining and logging had a year-over-year increase, with 500 jobs added.

Other sectors that added jobs last month were scattered throughout the economy: 1,100 jobs added in administrative and support services, 1,000 jobs added in health care and social assistance services, 1,000 jobs added in professional and technical services and 3,800 jobs added in the leisure and hospitality sector.

Those gains more than offset the 1,400 jobs with the federal government, many of which were with the U.S. Census.

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