ATLANTA — State labor officials say Georgia's unemployment rate has grown to 10.2 percent.

Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that the state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose by two-tenths of a percentage point from a revised 10 percent in November.

The rate was 10.3 percent in December 2009. It's the 39th consecutive month Georgia has exceeded the national unemployment rate, which is now 9.4 percent.

The number of payroll jobs decreased last month by 21,800, with most of the decreases in construction, leisure and hospitality, public schools, professional and business services and wholesale trade.

There were 259,200 long-term unemployed Georgians in December, an increase of 7,000, or 2.8 percent, from 252,200 long-term unemployed in November.