ATLANTA – Georgia’s unemployment rate fell to 3.7% last month, the lowest it’s been since the coronavirus pandemic began in March of last year.
The state added 43,600 jobs in July, while the labor participation rate was 61.7%, the same as the national rate.
Georgia and other Republican-led states cut off federal unemployment benefits in June, three months before those programs created during the pandemic are due to expire, a move that drew criticism from Democrats and labor advocates.
Since then, the state has added nearly 84,000 jobs and seen a 300% increase in the number of employed Georgians, state Commissioner of Labor Mark Butler said Thursday.
“We are seeing all-time high job numbers in many sectors,” he said. “The job market is saturated with opportunities for job seekers, and we are working to connect employers with candidates for long-term employment.”
The job sectors accounting for the most gains last month were accommodations and food services, the sector hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, with 15,200 listings. The administrative and support services sector was next with 7,100.
There are more than 192,000 job openings listed online at Employ Georgia from a wide variety of sectors. In many cases, employers are willing to train quality candidates and help them obtain additional credentials.
For more information on jobs and current labor force data, visit the Georgia Labor Force Market Explorer website.