The Georgia Department of Labor announced on Thursday that for the month of August, the state outperformed the nation in unemployment.
Georgia’s unemployment rate stood at 5.6 percent last month, and the nation’s rate came in at 8.4 percent. The state additionally recorded a decrease of two percentage points since July, as well as a seven percent drop since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Unemployment skyrocked in April to 12.6 percent but has been steadily decreasing since then.
Mark Butler, Georgia’s Labor Commissioner, asserts, “We anticipated a drop in the unemployment rate as we have seen many businesses reengaging in the economy and bringing employees back to work.”
Initial unemployment claims were down in Georgia by 50 percent since July to reach 247,623 in August. Since April, initial claims have dropped by over 1.1 million.
Connect with the Georgia Department of Labor online for more labor market data and information about services for job seekers at www.dol.georgia.gov.