ATLANTA – State labor officials say Georgia's unemployment rate rose slightly to 5.3 percent, the third consecutive month it has climbed.

The Georgia Department of Labor announced the figures for November on Thursday.

The state's unemployment rate in October was 5.2 percent. A year ago, the unemployment rate was 5.5 percent.

State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler attributed the slight increase in Georgia's unemployment rate to more people joining the state's labor force.

Butler says in a statement that the state's labor participation rate was 62.7 percent in November, the highest it has been in more than three years and equal to the national rate.

The department's statement says employers added 9,900 jobs in November, largely in professional and business services.