LOS ANGELES — California gained just 900 payroll jobs last month, the state said Friday, a lackluster showing that reflects a national slowdown attributed in part to the housing slump.

The slight gain followed a revised loss of 13,500 jobs in October, the Employment Development Department said.

The slowing job market combined with declines in taxable sales and falling home prices "paint a picture of an economy that is slowing sharply," said Stephen Levy, senior economist at the Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy.

Nationally, employers added a modest 94,000 payroll jobs in November.

In California, a little more than 1 million people were looking for work last month, an increase of 16,000 from October and up 186,000 compared to the year-ago period.

The state's unemployment rate was unchanged from October at 5.6 percent. It was 4.7 percent in November 2006.

Among those looking for work, 408,600 people had been laid off, 74,000 left their jobs voluntarily and the remainder were new to the labor market.

In all, more than 15.3 million people held payroll jobs in California last month, the state said.

In Ventura County, the jobless rate was 5.4 percent in November, up from 5.2 percent the previous month and 4.5 percent from November 2006.

While total jobs increased year over year by 900 to 323,700, the number of unemployed people jumped 21.5 percent to 23,200 over the same span.

During the same period, job losses occurred in construction, 1,500; manufacturing, 900; financial activities, 500; information, 100; and other services, 100.

But those losses were offset by gains in trade, transportation and utilities, 1,500; leisure and hospitality, 700; government, 700; and professional and business services, 300. There was no year over year change in natural resources and mining.

Seasonal farm jobs, a category that fluctuates a lot, declined 800 to 21,200 from November to November.

From October to November, increases were reported in trade, transportation and utilities, 1,700; government, 600; educational and health services, 500; professional and business services, 300; leisure and hospitality, 100; information, 100; and other services, 100. There were declines in farm jobs, 900; construction, 600; financial activities, 500; and manufacturing, 400.

Ventura County's figures are not seasonally adjusted.

Statewide, employers added 13,900 new payroll jobs during the month, with the educational and health services sector accounting for 5,200 of the positions.

But that figure was nearly offset by the loss of 13,000 jobs in other sectors, including trade, transportation and utilities, the state said.

During the 12-month period ended in November, California gained 85,700 jobs, a 0.6 percent increase. Education and health services accounted for 53,600 of those positions, the largest number during the period.

The construction sector posted the biggest decline, shedding 35,400 jobs. Other positions were lost in real estate-related financial services.

Levy also cited the rising cost of living in California as a drag on the economy.

— Star staff contributed to this report.