Georgia Unemployment Rate Drops for 16th Straight Month to 3.5%

Atlanta, GA - Today, Governor Brian P. Kemp applauded Georgia's unemployment rate dropping for the sixteenth straight month to 3.5% for August 2021, down from 3.7% in July.

"Georgians are getting back to work and our economy continues to beat expectations," said Governor Brian P. Kemp. "The Peach State now has fewer people unemployed than we did before the pandemic. This milestone is a testament to the resiliency of Georgia's job creators and our efforts to protect both lives and livelihoods over the last eighteen months. Since May, the state has seen a gain of over 71,000 jobs, and we've replaced eighty-three percent of the jobs lost during the first months of the pandemic last year.

"As the top state for business for the eighth year in a row, my administration will continue to be laser-focused on attracting good-paying jobs, strengthening our workforce pipeline, and keeping Georgia open for business."

The August jobs report announced the labor force was up 3,885 over the month to 5,174,352. The number of employed was up 15,686 in August to 4,992,696, while the number of unemployed was down 11,801 to 181,656. Initial claims were down 10,939 (-19%) from July to August to 47,872 for the month and are down 199,751 (-81%) over the year. The unemployment rate fell as the number of unemployed, almost 182,000, fell below the pre-pandemic level of 187,000.

To take advantage of recruitment tools available to manage an employee talent search at no cost, employers can reach out to the Georgia Department of Labor for support and also access Employ Georgia to post job openings, search applicants, and invite potential candidates to apply. For more information on jobs and current labor force data, visit Georgia LaborMarket Explorer to view a comprehensive report.