ATLANTA – Georgia’s unemployment rate remained steady last month, but jobs and employment were on the upswing, the state Department of Labor reported Thursday.
Unemployment in July stood at 7.6% , the same as in June but more than double the 3.4% jobless rate in July of last year. The national unemployment rate last month was 10.2%.
The number of jobs in Georgia rose by 43,800 last month to more than 4.4 million. Employed residents also went up by 55,466 in July to more than 4.6 million.
“Although the unemployment rate remained steady in July, it is promising to see positive growth in critical indicators like employment and jobs,” Georgia Commissioner of Labor Mark Butler said. “I believe you will soon see a gradual decrease in the unemployment rate as employment catches up with increases in labor force.”
After 17 consecutive weeks above 100,000, the number of initial unemployment claims filed in Georgia was less than 100,000 last week for the fourth straight week. First-time unemployment claims for the week ending Aug. 15 were 58,099, down 4,236 from the previous week.
Since March 21, the labor department has processed nearly 3.5 million initial unemployment claims, more than the last eight years combined.
The job sector accounting for the most claims during that period was accommodation and food services, with 832,068 claims. The health care and social assistance sector was next with 412,542 claims, followed by retail trade with 378,545.
More than 120,000 jobs are listed online at EmployGeorgia.com for Georgians to access. The labor department offers online resources for finding a job, building a resume and assisting with other reemployment needs.