The state’s top labor official says the fledging economic recovery—at least in Georgia—seems to be losing steam.

That’s what state Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond takes from the latest unemployment numbers released by his office Thursday.

There was a slight dip in Georgia’s overall jobless rate, down a tenth of a point to an even 10 percent in June. But Thurmond sees other troubling numbers.

The state’s long-term unemployed now accounts for nearly half of the 469,022 Georgians out-of-work. Last month, another 4,300 people were added to the group, described as jobless 27 weeks-or-longer.

And the state’s labor force is smaller by 17,953, the largest one-month decline since May of 2001.

Thurmond says spikes in the numbers of discouraged workers, long-term jobless, and increased new layoffs all mean to him—a Georgia job market in “renewed deterioration”.

Tags: Georgia, unemployment, jobless rate, Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond, GPB