Topeka ? The state’s unemployment rate dropped to 4.4 percent in May, and officials said Friday they saw signs of continued, modest improvement in the Kansas economy.

The jobless rate was 4.7 percent in April. The Department of Human Resources attributed much of the decline in May to seasonal hiring by construction and leisure businesses.

But the department also noted the number of nonfarm jobs grew by 5,100 from May 2003 to last month. Employment grew in government, leisure and hospitality, financial services, construction and information services, the agency said.

“We’re hiring more people this year than last year,” said Beth Martino, agency spokeswoman. “That is a sign that our economy is growing somewhat, slightly.”

The department said 1,392,388 Kansans had jobs in May, while 63,799 were actively seeking work. In April, about 4,700 fewer people had jobs; about 270 more people were looking for jobs.

Unemployment in three of the state’s four major metropolitan areas followed the state trend, declining to 5 percent in May from 5.2 percent in April in the state’s portion of the Kansas City area, to 5.4 percent from 5.7 percent in the Wichita area, and to 5 percent from 5.4 percent in the Topeka area.

In the Lawrence area, defined as Douglas County, unemployment remained at 4.1 percent in May.

Linn County had the state’s highest unemployment rate, at 8.4 percent. The lowest rates — 1 percent — were in Cheyenne, Comanche and Ness counties.