The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Georgia reached new all-time highs in both its labor force (5,490,319) and employment (5,314,822) in August, and that the state's unemployment rate declined to 3.2%. Georgia's unemployment rate is 0.9 percentage points below the national rate. One year ago, the state's unemployment rate was 3.4%.

"Georgia's job market is stronger than ever," said Georgia Labor Commissioner Bárbara Rivera Holmes. "With August bringing record-breaking labor force and employment numbers alongside a two-and-a-half-year low unemployment rate of 3.2%, our state’s economy is thriving. These milestones translate to real opportunities for families and businesses, and we remain committed to ensuring a mortgage-paying career is within reach of everyone who wants it."

In August, Georgia's labor force increased by 9,498 to 5,490,319, an all-time high, and rose by 68,659 over the past year.

Employment rose by 13,013 to an all-time high of 5,314,822 and was up 76,272 over the past year.

Unemployment declined by 3,515 to 175,497 and was down 7,613 over the past 12 months. The unemployment rate was at its lowest level since February 2024, when it was also 3.2%.

In August, jobs were up 8,000 over the month to 4,985,700 and were down 7,300 over the year. Jobs in Georgia are now up after being down for two months in a row.

The sectors with the most over-the-month job gains were administrative and support services, 3,200; state government, 3,200; retail trade, 2,200; durable goods manufacturing, 1,300; and health care and social assistance, 1,300.

Jobs were down over the month in non-durable goods manufacturing, 1,800; private educational services, 1,400; transportation, warehousing, and utilities, 1,200; information, 1,000; and wholesale trade, 600.

The sectors with the most job gains over the past year were health care and social assistance, 19,100; durable goods manufacturing, 4,400; local government, 4,300; administrative and support services, 4,000; and state government, 3,400.

Jobs were down over the year in professional and technical services, 11,600; federal government, 9,400; non-durable goods manufacturing, 5,100; transportation, warehousing, and utilities, 5,000; and construction, 3,200.

Initial claims decreased by 3,323 over the month to 16,827 in August and were down 1,794 over the year.

Contact Georgia Department of Labor Communications Office 
[email protected] 
(404) 232-3685

Media Contact: Chief Communications Officer, Shawna Mercer 
Email: [email protected] 
Phone Number: 678-350-6878

For personalized assistance, employers can reach Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) staff at https://dol.georgia.gov/employeremail.

For more information on unemployment benefits, claimants should call 877.709.8185 or visit their MyUI Claimant Portal. GDOL's Career Centers also provide in-person unemployment insurance benefit services for customers statewide.

For more information on jobs and current labor force data, visit Georgia LaborMarket Explorer to view a comprehensive report.