ALBANY, GA -- The Georgia Department of Labor announces Georgia’s unemployment rate jumps to 10.1 percent in November. In October the state’s unemployment was 9.8 percent.

This is the 38th consecutive month that Georgia has exceeded the national rate, which is at 9.8 percent.

Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond says the state’s unemployment rate is up because of increases in new layoffs and the number of long-term unemployed.

He says the long-term unemployed currently accounts for 53.7 percent of the 469,702 jobless workers in the state. Long-term unemployed are those who have been out of work for 27 weeks.

The number of jobs remains 5,100 below where it was in November 2009. The number of payroll jobs did increase by 7,000 in November compared to October, with most of the increasing in retail trade, professional and business services, and education and health services.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution contributed to this story.