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COLUMBIA (WACH, AP) -- South Carolina's unemployment rate improved for the third month in a row to 10.6 percent in November.

The Department of Employment and Workforce reported Friday that the total number of jobs in South Carolina declined slightly from the previous month even though the jobless rate improved slightly from 10.7 percent in October.

It may be a small reduction in state's unemployment, but it's just enough to encourage those still searching for work.

Midlands resident Glinda Patterson knows what it feels like to be without a job.

“When you are out there you think you are the only one,” Patterson says.

Unemployed for two years, Patterson's hunt for a permanent position came to an end two months ago.

“It feels great just to be able to wake up in the morning and know that you have somewhere to go,” Patterson says.

Patterson found work at Providence Hospital in an industry that has held up in the down economy.

The state's unemployment rate has declined from an all-time high of 12.5 percent in January.

According to the Department of Employment and Workforce, health services and education have gained the most jobs since November 2009.

“There are jobs out there.  You just have to be willing to find them.  Finding a job is a job in itself," says Carrie Powell with the Department of Employment and Workforce.

Next year, retail and manufacturing are expected to be the biggest job creators; however, some economists feel the state will likely have only slight overall growth.

As for Patterson, she is a believer that the economy is improving.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)