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

Georgia’s unemployment rate dropped for the sixteenth straight month to 3.5% for August 2021, down from 3.7% in July.  Since May, the state has seen a gain of over 71,000 jobs, and has replaced 83% of the jobs lost during the first months of the pandemic last year.  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.