ATLANTA (AP) -- The unemployment rate in Georgia held steady at 9.2 percent in August.

Figures released Thursday by the state Department of Labor show that unemployment has not budged since July. But it's lower compared to a year ago, when the figure was nearly 10 percent.

Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said that more than half of the job growth last month was attributable to seasonal education workers returning for the new school year. The year-to-year growth is the most Georgia has seen since 2007.

Outside of education, other industries reported some growth. For example, health care and social assistance grew by 4,400 jobs, while professional and business services added roughly 2,400 positions.

The pace of new layoffs was slowing. New unemployment claims dropped to 45,725, down by 10,815 from July.