ATLANTA — State labor officials say Georgia's unemployment rate did not increase from one month to the next for the first time in 20 months.

The Georgia Department of Labor on Thursday reported a seasonally adjusted 9.2 percent jobless rate for March. That's the same as the revised rate for February.

Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond said the better-than-expected jobless rate in March does not mark the end of the recession. He said it may be the "end of the beginning" of the severe economic downturn.

The March jobless rate was up 3.6 percentage points from the same time last year. And Georgia's unemployment rate remained above the national rate of 8.5 percent for the 17th month in a row.