Massachusetts’ December unemployment report contained some positive signs: the state’s unemployment rated dropped to 5.5 percent, from 5.8 percent in November, and nearly 11,000 jobs were added to the state’s economy.

The Office of Labor and Workforce Development also reported that the state netted more than 60,000 new jobs over the past 12 months, making 2014 the strongest year for job growth since 2000.