TLANTA (AP) — Georgia's tax collections jumped nearly 10 percent to roughly $1.7 billion in December compared to the same period a year ago.

Gov. Nathan Deal's office said Wednesday that the increase in revenue represented an increase of roughly $151 million against December 2011.

Personal income tax collections increased nearly 12 percent to roughly $945 million, while the sales and use tax collections rose almost 10 percent to about $441 million.

While the increase in tax collections are larger than those seen recently, they are in line with trends in the national economy.

Tax collections are viewed as a rough measure of local economic health. The more money that people earn and spend, the more money that Georgia's state government collects in tax revenue.