ATLANTA (AP) -- Georgia's labor commissioner says new unemployment numbers mark the first time in 10 months that the state's jobless rate has failed to decline.

Labor Commissioner Mark Butler announced early Thursday that Georgia's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was unchanged at 8.9 percent from April to May. The jobless rate was 9.8 percent in May a year ago.

Butler said that although the unemployment rate held steady, Georgia now has the fewest jobless workers receiving unemployment insurance benefits since the start of the recession in 2007. He also says the numbers of new layoffs and long-term unemployed are down.