ATLANTA - State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler says Georgia's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stayed at 9.8 percent last month, and there was a slight increase in payroll jobs.

Butler said Thursday the April rate was first reported at 9.9 percent, but was revised to 9.8 percent. The state's jobless rate was 10 percent in May a year ago.

Butler says businesses are beginning to expand their workforce, showing a gradual increase of confidence in the economy.

The number of payroll jobs increased 3,400 to 3,834,500 in May, up one-tenth of a percentage point from April. Most of the new jobs were in leisure and hospitality, with smaller increases in retail trade, health care, manufacturing, and construction.

For the third consecutive month, the number of long-term unemployed workers declined.