Massachusetts gained 4,900 jobs last month, according to the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, the first time we saw an increase since May 2008. The shift from blue- to white-collar employment continues: Jobs under the category of “professional, scientific, and business services” increased by 2,600, and “education and health services” went up by 2,500. Meanwhile, manufacturing jobs dipped by 300, a relatively good sign for a employment sector that has been shrinking in Massachusetts for decades.

The biggest decline was in the construction sector (down by 2,600). But government jobs fell by almost as much (2,100).