Atlanta, GA – The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) announced today that Georgia’s unemployment rate dropped three-tenths of a percentage point to 3.7 percent in July, mirroring rates seen prior to the pandemic. In March 2020, Georgia’s unemployment rate was 3.6 percent. Georgia’s unemployment rate in July 2021 was one and seven-tenths lower than the national unemployment rate of 5.4 percent.

The labor force increased 6,000 over the month to over 5.71 million, up 204,000 since July 2020.  Georgia’s employed residents in July saw a monthly increase of 21,000, up 389,170 since July of last year to 4,977,053.  The number of unemployed dropped almost 15,000 from June to July to 193,486, down 428,000 since the beginning of the pandemic.  The number of jobs was up 43,600 in July and was up 83,900 over the past two months. The jobs number has increased 515,000 since April of 2020. The state’s labor force participation rate for June 2021 was 61.7%, the same as the national rate.

“After ending Georgia’s participation in the federal unemployment insurance programs in June, the state has seen growth of almost 84,000 jobs and has seen a 300% increase in the number of people employed from June to July,” said Commissioner Mark Butler. “We are seeing all-time high job numbers in many sectors. The job market is saturated with opportunities for job seekers, and we are working to connect employers with candidates for long-term employment.”

The sectors with the most over-the-month job gains included Accommodation and Food Services, 15,200, Administrative and Support Services, 7,100, Local Government, 2,900, Real Estate and Rental and Leasing, 2,200, Health Care and Social Assistance, 2,100, Wholesale Trade, 2,000, Retail Trade, 2,000, Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services, 1,800, Finance and Insurance, 1,200, and Non-Durable Goods Manufacturing, 1,100.

In July, there were 959,300 jobs in Trade, Transportation and Utilities, an all-time high, and 251,900 jobs in the Transportation and Warehousing sector, an all-time high. Also reaching all-time highs were 742,000 jobs in Professional and Business Services, 291,900 jobs in the Professional, Scientific & Technical sector, and 364,200 jobs in the Administrative and Support Services sector.

The jobs listed online at Employ Georgia exceed 192,000 job listings from a wide variety of sectors offering competitive wages and benefits. In many cases, employers are willing to train quality candidates and assist with obtaining additional credentials.  

For more information on jobs and current labor force data, visit the Georgia Labor Force Market Explorer at Georgia LaborMarket Explorer to view a comprehensive report.