Correction: Rapid Pump and Meter Service Co. Inc. has had no layoffs in 40 years. The original version of this story was incorrect.

New Jersey's economy added 6,400 jobs in November, adding to roller coaster year for the job market that appears to be ending with employers struggling to find workers.

The jobless rate increased to 5.1 percent from 4.9 percent, possibly because retailers didn't hire robustly for the holiday shopping season. Other employers, though, say they are struggling to find workers to fill job openings.

"It's a challenge," said Kathy Yevchak, co-owner of Signs by the Sea, a Wall manufacturing company that makes handcrafted signs for golf clubs worldwide.

More:Tax bill in NJ: Paying more or less might depend on if you have kids

More:NJ home sales: Will the tax bill hurt them?

The monthly unemployment report is made up of a survey of employers to measure the number of jobs and a survey of households to measure the unemployment rate. They don't always move in the same direction.

The context for the jobs report has flipped upside down. In Washington, D.C., President Donald Trump is preparing to reverse direction from his predecessor and sign a bill that will dramatically cut taxes for corporations and small businesses.

And in Trenton, Democrat Phil Murphy is preparing to be sworn in as governor and has proposed ideas that current Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, has long rejected. Among them: increasing the minimum wage and more taxes on millionaires.

Where it leaves New Jersey's economy is anyone's guess. But for now, many employers say they have positions they are trying to fill, with varying degrees of success.

More:Skills gap: Why can't NJ employers find workers they need?

More:Manufacturing skills gap: Who’s going to run the robots?

The demand "is pretty significant for skilled workers," said Rich Dziuban, senior vice president for the employment agency Robert Half in Woodbridge. "We would spend on average twice the amount of time to identity valuable candidates than we did six or seven years ago.”

Paterson-based Rapid Pump and Meter Service Co. Inc. is expanding in Wall and looking for as many as 10 mechanics and electricians to work on industrial water systems.

The work can be difficult. Technicians occasionally toil in waste water. They work in confined spaces. They can be on call around the clock.

But the job pays at least $20 an hour. They consider it a vital service to companies and the government. And the company has never had layoffs in 40 years, said Ken Taylor, a director for the company's central and southern division. (Job hunters interested in the position should call 973-345-5600).

"It’s a little harder to get the people that have these type of skills," Taylor said. "What we have been doing is taking second-generation employees, sons of fathers who have worked here a long time who are in the industry, in the trades, and are advancing them along."

More:Amazon HQ: What will Phil Murphy mean for NJ's economy?

More:NJ biz owners brace for $15 minimum wage fight

New Jersey's job gains in November were in line with the nation. Sectors with the biggest gains were: Education and health services (+3,300); financial activities (+2,100); and leisure and hospitality (+1,600).

Trade, transportation and utilities, a sector that includes retailers, lost 1,400 jobs last month. Rutgers University economist James W. Hughes said it could be a sign retailers in the digital age are hiring fewer workers for their bricks-and-mortar stores.

Still, New Jersey has slowly but surely rebounded from the Great Recession, overcoming superstorm Sandy, Fort Monmouth's closure, Atlantic City's downsizing and the giant millennial generation that fled the suburbs for the cities, Hughes said.

"What we can safely say is the state really is moving forward," he said.

Signs by the Sea, for one, is looking for part-time workers who have mechanical and carpentry skills to help make signs that it sells to some of the nation's most prestigious golf clubs.

Michael Yevchak, a former golf pro, took a leap of faith when he and his wife opened the company several years ago. But the decision is beginning to pay off. Sales are rising by double-digits each year.

During a visit to the shop this week, it sounded as if they could grow faster – if they could find a few extra workers to pitch in. (For more information, go to http://signsbythesea.com/contact/ )

"Manufacturing in New Jersey is not one of the bigger industries," Kathy Yevchak said. "That’s why it's challenging. (We want) to find people who have a little bit of experience, and we can show them how to do everything else."

Michael L. Diamond; @mdiamondapp; 732-643-4038; mdiamond@gannettnj.com