Media release from the Georgia Department of Labor:
The Georgia Department of Labor announced today that Georgia’s labor force surged to an all-time high of 5,461,455, and that total employment also set a new record at 5,271,138. The April unemployment rate held steady at 3.5%, which is 0.8 percentage point lower than the national unemployment rate and unchanged from Georgia’s March revised 3.5% unemployment rate. One year ago, the state’s unemployment rate was 3.3%.
“More Georgians are working today than at any point in our state’s history, with record highs in both our labor force and employment,” said Georgia Labor Commissioner Bárbara Rivera Holmes. “Georgia’s unemployment rate sits nearly a full point lower than the national average, we’ve added close to 45,000 workers in the last year, and total jobs are approaching 5 million. That’s what it takes to build a Top State for Talent – and Georgia is delivering on it every single day.”
In April, Georgia’s labor force increased by 6,138 to 5,461,455, an all-time high, and rose by 53,911 over the past year.
Employment rose by 8,799 to a record-breaking 5,271,138 and was up 44,691 over the past year.
Unemployment declined by 2,661 to 190,317 and was up 9,220 over the past 12 months.
In April, jobs were up by 7,100 over the month to 4,996,000 and were up 2,700 over the year. Georgia jobs have now grown for two consecutive months and four out of the last six months.
The sectors with the most over-the-month job gains were wholesale trade, 2,600; real estate and rental and leasing, 2,000; health care and social assistance, 1,900; accommodation and food services, 1,300; and professional and technical services, 1,000.
Jobs were down over the month in transportation, warehousing, and utilities, 1,400; administrative and support services, 1,200; construction, 1,100; information, 500; and state government, 400.
The sectors with the most job gains over the past year were health care and social assistance, 26,500; local government, 3,700; other services; 2,100; arts, entertainment, and recreation, 1,500; wholesale trade, 1,000; and real estate and rental and leasing, 1,000.
Jobs were down over the year in federal government, 11,400; transportation, warehousing, and utilities, 5,000; accommodation and food services, 2,900; administrative and support services, 2,900; and retail trade, 2,900.
Initial claims were up 867 over the month to 18,336 in April and were down 2,700 over the year.
For personalized assistance, employers can reach Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) staff at https://dol.georgia.gov/employeremail.
For more information on unemployment benefits, claimants should call 877.709.8185 or visit their MyUI Claimant Portal. GDOL’s Career Centers also provide in-person unemployment insurance benefit services for customers statewide.
For more information on jobs and current labor force data, visit Georgia LaborMarket Explorer to view a comprehensive report.
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