Georgia unemployment rate ticks up

ATLANTA – Georgia’s unemployment rate increased slightly to 3.4% last month, up from 3.3% in July, even as the state continued to set records in several jobs categories.

The state’s labor force was up 13,947 to more than 5.4 million, an all-time high, while the number of jobs rose by 2,600 to nearly 5 million, also a record.

“Georgia’s labor force is larger and more dynamic than ever,” state Commissioner of Labor Bruce Thompson said Thursday. “Our challenge – and our opportunity – is to partner with the business community to create jobs that meet the evolving needs of hardworking Georgians.”

The job sectors posting the most gains last month included accommodation and food services – among the hardest hit sectors during the pandemic – which gained 2,300 jobs. The transportation and warehousing sector and administrative and support services each gained 1,100 jobs.

The motion picture and sound recording industries lost 1,400 jobs in July, part of a larger trend that has seen declines in Georgia’s film industry. The health care and social assistance sector was down 1,200 jobs last month.

The number of employed Georgians also reached an all-time high last month of more than 5.2 million.

Initial unemployment claims rose by 5,398 in July to 27,265. However, first-time jobless claims over the year decreased by 4,145.