Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) Commissioner Mark Butler announced Thursday that the state now employs the highest number of Georgians ever, surpassing the number of employed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic by more than 3,000.
Butler announced the news in a Thursday press release.
“The number of employed Georgians in November was up 11,983 from October to 5,027,981,” according to the GDOL press release.
“Georgia’s unemployment rate dropped another three tenths of a point to 2.8 percent in November, the lowest rate in Georgia’s recorded history. Georgia’s unemployment rate was one and four-tenths percent lower than the national unemployment rate of 4.2 percent.”
The latest numbers on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ website show Georgia’s unemployment rate is lower than that of its four surrounding states.
Alabama’s unemployment rate is 3.1 percent, while Florida’s is 4.6 percent. South Carolina’s unemployment rate, meanwhile, is 3.9 percent, and Tennessee’s is 4.2 percent.
Georgia’s labor force was down 235 in November to 5,174,199 and is up only 1,220 over the previous seven months. In comparing November 2021 figures to pre-pandemic March 2020 figures, the labor force remains down 32,000, the number of employed is up 10,000, and the number of unemployed is down 42,000, the press release said.
The number of unemployed was down 12,218 to 146,218 in November, the lowest figure since December 2000.
Jobs in Georgia were up 13,500 over the month and are up 4.4 percent over the year to 4,618,800. Since May, job growth has increased by 130,600.
“The sectors with the most over-the-month job gains included transportation and warehousing, 4,300, non-durable goods manufacturing, 2,300, accommodation and food services, 2,200, health care and social assistance, 2,000, wholesale trade, 1,800, professional, scientific, and technical services, 1,100, durable goods manufacturing, 1,100, and arts, entertainment, and recreation, 1,000,” the press release said.
“Job numbers were at an all-time high in trade and transportation, 978,600, the transportation and warehousing sector, 265,000. Financial activities, 256,000, professional and business Services, 757,100, the professional, scientific, and technical services sector, 298,400, and in the administrative and support services sector, 371,400.”
GDOL officials announced last month that Georgia’s unemployment rate had dipped to 3.1 percent.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
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