unemployment rate | The Georgia Star News

September Job Growth Exceeds Expectations as Unemployment Falls

October 4, 2024 Daily Caller News Foundation

The U.S. added 254,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in September as the unemployment rate ticked down to 4.1%, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data released Friday.

Economists expected 150,000 jobs to be added in September, slightly higher than the initially reported 142,000 job gain in August, and the unemployment rate to remain at 4.2%, according to MarketWatch. Meanwhile, previously reported job gains for July and August were revised up by 55,000 and 17,000, respectively, breaking a trend under the Biden-Harris administration of overestimating employment growth in initial estimates, with the cumulative number of new jobs reported in 2023 roughly 1.3 million less than previously thought.

U.S. Job Growth Slows to a Crawl as Unemployment Rises

August 3, 2024August 2, 2024 Georgia Star News Staff

The U.S. added 114,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in July as the unemployment rate ticked up to 4.3%, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data released Friday.

Economists anticipated that the country would add 175,000 jobs in July compared to the 206,000 added in initial estimates for June, and that the unemployment rate would remain stable at 4.1%, according to U.S. News and World Report. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell noted in a press conference on Wednesday that a continued slowdown in the labor market could be a sign of further softening in the economy and contribute to a possible cut to the federal funds rate and an easing in harsh credit conditions that have weighed on Americans.

Unemployment Rate Climbs for Another Month as Job Gains Slump

July 6, 2024July 5, 2024 Georgia Star News Staff

The U.S. added 206,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in June as the unemployment rate ticked up to 4.1%, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data released Friday.

Economists anticipated that 190,000 jobs would be added in June, far fewer than the initially reported 272,000 gain seen in May, and the unemployment rate would remain steady at 4%, according to U.S. News and World Report. Strong topline job gains in recent months have led some top economic officials, like Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, to push back against claims that the economy is stalling, despite slow economic growth and high inflation.

Georgia Sees Slight Unemployment Rate Increase in May

June 22, 2024June 21, 2024 The Center Square

Georgia’s unemployment rate increased slightly in May, hitting 3.2%, up from a revised 3.1% in April, and a leading Georgia business group said inflation is still challenging many businesses.

However, the Peach State’s unemployment rate was lower than the national unemployment rate of 4%, Georgia officials touted.

Job Market Continues Hot Streak Despite Persistent Layoffs

April 6, 2024 Georgia Star News Staff

The U.S. added 303,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in March as the unemployment rate ticked down to 3.8%, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data released Friday.

Economists anticipated that the country would add 200,000 jobs in March compared to the 275,000 jobs that were added in initial estimates for February, and that the unemployment rate would remain unchanged at 3.9%, according to Reuters. The job gains are in spite of persistent layoffs that reached a 14-month peak in March at 90,309.

Georgia’s Unemployment Rate Remains Flat in February

March 25, 2024 The Center Square

Georgia’s February unemployment rate remained unchanged from the revised January rate, labor officials said Thursday.

State officials said the Peach State’s 3.1% unemployment rate is below the national rate of 3.9%. Last week, state officials said Georgia’s January unemployment rate dropped to 3.1%, the first drop in more than a year after holding at 3.2% in 2023.

Job Growth Exceeds Expectations Despite Mass Layoffs

February 3, 2024 Georgia Star News Staff

The U.S. added 353,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in January as the unemployment rate remained at 3.7%, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data released Friday.

Economists anticipated that the country would add 180,000 jobs in January compared to the 216,000 that were added in December and that the unemployment rate would tick up to 3.8% from 3.7%, according to Reuters. Despite the job gains, American employers cut 82,307 positions in January, a 136% jump from the previous month, amid a wider trend of layoffs as factors like high inflation continue to hurt business conditions.

Job Growth Remains Cool Despite Boost from Returning Strikers

December 9, 2023December 8, 2023 Georgia Star News Staff

The U.S. added 199,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in November as the unemployment rate ticked down to 3.7%, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data released Friday.

Economists had anticipated that the country would add 180,000 jobs in November compared to the 150,000 jobs that were added in October and that the unemployment rate would remain at 3.9%, according to Reuters. The number of jobs added in the month was boosted due to the resumption of work by autoworkers and actors who participated in the recent strikes.

Georgia’s October Unemployment Rate Remains Below National Average

November 21, 2023 The Center Square

Georgia’s seasonally adjusted October unemployment rate was 3.4 percent, the same as September’s revised rate.

The Peach State’s unemployment rate increased from the 3.1 percent rate a year ago. However, it was below the national rate of 3.9 percent.

Job Gains Fall Short of Expectations as Unemployment Ticks Up

November 4, 2023November 3, 2023 Georgia Star News Staff

The U.S. added 150,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in October as the unemployment rate ticked up to 3.9%, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data released Friday.

Economists had anticipated that the country would add 180,000 jobs in October compared to the 336,000 jobs that were added in September and that the unemployment rate would remain at 3.8%, according to Reuters. On Wednesday, at the conclusion of its Federal Open Market Committee meeting, the Federal Reserve announced that it would be keeping its federal funds rate steady in the range of 5.25% and 5.50%, a 22-year high, after a series of 11 rate hikes that started in March 2022 in an effort to tame inflation.

America Adds over 300,000 Jobs in September as Interest Rates Remain Elevated

October 7, 2023 Georgia Star News Staff

The U.S. added 336,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in September as the unemployment rate remained at 3.8%, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data released Friday.

Economists had anticipated that the country would add 170,000 jobs in September compared to 187,000 in August and that the unemployment rate would slide down to 3.7% from 3.8%, according to Reuters. Private employment data for September showed that only 89,000 jobs were added for the month, as the professional and business services, trade, transportations and utilities and manufacturing services sectors all had substantial losses, according to ADP.

State Officials Wonder How Georgia Businesses Fill Their Open Jobs

September 6, 2023 The Center Square

Georgia has 350,000 job postings but only about 170,000 unemployed Georgians.

State officials routinely highlight Georgia’s low unemployment rate, but that doesn’t address the worker shortage.

Georgia’s Unemployment Rate Remains Below National Average

July 23, 2023July 22, 2023 The Center Square

Georgia’s unemployment rate continues to remain lower than the national rate.

On Thursday, officials said the Peach State’s June rate was 3.2%, the same as May’s revised rate and lower than the national average of 3.6%.

Commentary: As Hiring Slows Down, So Does the Economy

July 8, 2023 Georgia Star News Staff

The U.S. economy added 209,000 jobs in June, according to the latest establishment survey by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, less than expected as 306,000 were added in May, as hiring slowed down nationwide. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate remained about the same at 3.6 percent.

Historically, when hiring slows down by establishments, that usually coincides with economic slowdowns and recessions. In the recent cycle, the 2020 and 2021 recovery from Covid notwithstanding, hiring peaked at about 5.2 percent annualized increase in Feb. 2022. Now, it’s down to 2.5 percent.

Georgia Committee Probes Ways to Expand State’s Workforce

June 23, 2023June 22, 2023 The Center Square

Georgia has a 3.2% unemployment rate and roughly 5.1 million people in its workforce, but Peach State companies struggle to recruit employees.

And, a looming recession may only temporarily ease hiring troubles, testimony at the first meeting of the Senate Study Committee on Expanding Georgia’s Workforce revealed.

Economy Added 339K Jobs in May, Nearly Double Wall Street Expectations

June 4, 2023 Just the News

U.S. employers have added roughly 339,000 jobs in May, and the monthly unemployment rate rose to 3.7%, from a five-decade low of 3.4% in April, according to a Labor Department report released Friday.

Average hourly earnings rose 0.3% for the month while on an annual basis, wages increased 4.3%, which was a 0.1 percentage point under the estimate.

Commentary: Recession Looms as Banks Collapse and the Economy Slows

May 6, 2023 Georgia Star News Staff

The unemployment rate still remains at historic lows of 3.4 percent in April, according to the latest data by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, amid other worrying signs for the U.S. economy including a continued collapse of job openings, a string of bank failure and an overall slowing Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

In the survey, as the population increased by 171,000, those not in the labor force increased by 214,000 as labor participation dipped slightly by 43,000. Those who said they had a job increased by 139,000 after a 577,000 increase in March. As a result, the unemployment rate has actually ticked downward for two consecutive months from 3.6 percent in February, to 3.5 percent in March and now 3.4 percent in April.

Georgia Businessman Pleads Guilty to Bribing Officials

April 24, 2023April 23, 2023 The Center Square

A 72-year-old Alpharetta businessman pleaded guilty in federal court to bribing two Atlanta city officials in exchange for steering millions of dollars of city business to his company.

Georgia Unemployment Rate Remains Low for Seventh Consecutive Month

March 27, 2023March 26, 2023 The Center Square

For the seventh straight month, Georgia’s unemployment rate remained at 3.1%, 0.5% below the national average in February.

The Georgia Department of Labor says the Peach State in January had the highest labor force participation rate in the Southeast at 61% and also had the highest employment-to-population ratio in the region, 59.1%.

Georgia Unemployment Rate Increases in January

March 18, 2023March 17, 2023 The Center Square

Georgia’s regional commissions reported higher unemployment in January but the labor force grew in all but one of the state’s regions, according to numbers released on Thursday.

The Georgia Department of Labor says it is an annual trend for unadjusted unemployment rates to increase in January after the end of the holiday season.

U.S. Economy Adds 517,000 Jobs as Unemployment Drops to Lowest Since 1969

February 4, 2023February 3, 2023 The Center Square

The U.S. economy added 517,000 jobs in January as the unemployment rate dropped to 3.4%, the lowest since May 1969.

By comparison, there were 260,000 jobs added in December 2022 and the 517,000 was the largest increase since 568,000 in July 2022, according to the latest report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Georgia’s Unemployment Rate Was Unchanged to Close Out 2022

January 20, 2023 The Center Square

Georgia’s December unemployment rate was 3%, unchanged from November’s revised rate.

Additionally, state officials said job numbers increased by nearly 6,000 from November, hitting an all-time high. Georgia’s unemployment rate remained lower than the national unemployment rate of 3.5% in December.

Georgia Officials Tout Unemployment Rate That Is Lower than National Average

November 21, 2022November 20, 2022 The Center Square

Georgia officials said Thursday the state’s October unemployment rate remained lower than the national rate, news that follows a new finding that nearly half a million Georgians have dropped out of the workforce.

While Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 2.9% was lower than the national unemployment rate of 3.7%, it was slightly higher than last month’s rate of 2.8% but down from last October’s 3.4% rate.

Unemployment Rate Rose in October

November 5, 2022November 4, 2022 The Center Square

Newly released federal data show the economy created more jobs than expected but unemployment rose in October.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released the data, which showed the economy added 261,000 jobs in October, higher than the Dow Jones estimate of 205,000 new jobs.

Report: Georgia Has One of the Nation’s Best Improvements in Its Unemployment Rate

October 25, 2022October 24, 2022 The Center Square

Georgia reported one of the best changes in its unemployment rate of any state in the union, a new analysis found.

According to the report from WalletHub, Georgia has the 15th best change in unemployment. That trailed neighboring Florida (No. 6) and Alabama (12) but was better than South Carolina (28), Tennessee (32) and North Carolina (35).

New Economic Data Shows That Georgia Is Outperforming Many States

August 28, 2022August 27, 2022 The Center Square

New economic data shows Georgia is outperforming many other states across the country.

Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate now stands at a record low of 2.8% in July. A new WalletHub analysis found that Georgia has the 15th best change in its unemployment rate

Georgia Unemployment Rate at Record Low

June 22, 2022June 21, 2022 Addison Basurto

Georgia Department of Labor Commissioner Mark Butler announced on Thursday that the unemployment rate for the Peach State in May dipped to an all-time low of three percent as the number of jobs peaked at 4,782,400.

“As the state continues to experience a very tight labor market, as evidenced by our low unemployment rate, our focus has been on encouraging more individuals to re-enter the workforce,” Butler said. “Unless those who have chosen not work decide they want to re-enter the workforce or more people move into the state, additional workers will be scarce.”

Georgia Policy Group Warns That State’s Labor Force Participation Rate Lags Behind Other States

April 21, 2022April 21, 2022 The Center Square

While state officials touted their recent unemployment numbers as an all-time record, a state organization says a deeper analysis of the numbers shows a troubling undercurrent.

Georgia’s unemployment rate in March dropped to an all-time low of 3.1%, down from February’s revised rate of 3.2%, as the number of employed Georgians also hit a record high. Georgia is tied with Arkansas for the 16th lowest unemployment rate, according to an analysis from the Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO).

The U.S. Has Nearly Recovered All the Jobs Lost to COVID Lockdowns

April 2, 2022April 1, 2022 Georgia Star News Staff

The U.S. economy recorded an increase of 431,000 jobs in March as COVID-19 concerns ease and more Americans seek work to combat the surging cost of living.

Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 431,000 in March while the unemployment rate dipped to 3.6%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Economists surveyed by Dow Jones predicted the U.S. economy would add 490,000 jobs.

Commentary: The Unemployment Rate Does Not Offer Guidance Now

October 26, 2021October 25, 2021 RealClearWire

The Labor Department’s official unemployment rate—the most well-known gauge of the labor market’s health—counts as unemployed only those who aren’t working but are actively seeking a job.

Yet there is very little that we can infer from the jobless rate about the health of the economy. The unavoidable conclusion is that the only reason investors follow the calculation is because both Washington’s politicians and the Federal Reserve are expected to react to it.

U.S. Economy Added 194,000 Jobs in September, Badly Missing Expectations

October 9, 2021October 8, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

Person using a laptop, pointing to the screen

The U.S. economy reported an increase of 194,000 jobs in September, and the unemployment rate fell to 4.8%, according to Department of Labor statistics.

The number of unemployed people fell by 710,000 to 7.7 million, according to the Department of Labor statistics released Friday. Economists projected that employers created 500,000f jobs in September, more than double the figure in August, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Despite the spike in employment, the labor market remains thin due to the pandemic, and job growth earlier in the year was considerably stronger, according to the WSJ.

Locales Across Georgia See Good Employment News; Big-Government and Union-Friendly States Less Well-Off

September 25, 2021September 24, 2021 Bradley Vasoli

Georgia has a lower percentage of unemployed residents now than it did immediately before COVID-19 arrived, with some locales, like Warner Robins, experiencing their lowest jobless rates ever.

In Sept. 2020, around six months after the pandemic hit, the small city just south of Macon had a 5.3-percent jobless rate. Two months ago, Warner Robins’s rate fell to 2.9 percent, the city never before having seen such a small fraction of its residents out of work.

U.S. Added 379,000 Jobs in February, Unemployment Rate Fell to 6.2 Percent

March 6, 2021March 5, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

The U.S. economy reported an increase of 379,000 jobs in February while the unemployment rate fell to 6.2%, according to Department of Labor data released Friday.

Total non-farm payroll employment increased by 379,000 in February, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report, and the number of unemployed persons fell slightly to 10 million. Economists projected 210,000 Americans to be added to payrolls and the unemployment rate to increase to hold at 6.3% prior to Friday’s report, according to The Wall Street Journal.

U.S. Added 49,000 Jobs in January, Unemployment Rate Fell to 6.3 Percent

February 6, 2021February 5, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

The U.S. economy reported an increase of 49,000 jobs in January while the unemployment rate fell to 6.3%, according to Department of Labor data released Friday.

Total non-farm payroll employment increased by 49,000 in January, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics report, and the number of unemployed persons fell to 10.1 million. Economists projected 50,000 Americans to be added to payrolls and the unemployment rate to increase to come in at 6.7% prior to Friday’s report, according to the WSJ.

New Jobless Claims Decrease to 779,000, Economists Expected 830,000

February 5, 2021February 4, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims decreased to 779,000 last week as the economy continued to suffer the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to the Department of Labor.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) figure released Thursday represented a decrease in the number of new jobless claims compared to the week ending Jan. 23, in which there were 847,000 new jobless claims reported. Roughly 17.8 million Americans continue to collect unemployment benefits, according to the BLS report Thursday.

New Jobless Claims Spike to 965,000, Economists Expected 800,000

January 15, 2021 Georgia Star News Staff

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims increased to 965,000 last week as the economy continued to suffer the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to the Department of Labor.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) figure released Thursday represented a increase in the number of new jobless claims compared to the week ending Jan. 9, in which there were 787,000 new jobless claims reported. Roughly 18.4 million Americans continue to collect unemployment benefits, according to the BLS report Thursday.

New Unemployment Claims Decrease to 712,000, Beating Expectations

December 4, 2020December 3, 2020 Georgia Star News Staff

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims decreased to 712,000 last week as the economy continued to suffer the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to the Department of Labor.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) figure released Thursday represented a decrease of new jobless claims compared to the week ending Nov. 21, in which there were 778,000 new jobless claims reported. New jobless claims have stayed below 800,000 for more than a month.

New Unemployment Claims Increase to 778,000, Missing Expectations

November 26, 2020November 25, 2020 Georgia Star News Staff

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims increased to 778,000 last week as the economy continued to suffer the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to the Department of Labor.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) figure released Wednesday represented an increase of new jobless claims compared to the week ending Nov. 14, in which there were 742,000 new jobless claims reported. New jobless claims have stayed below 800,000 for more than a month.

As Jobless Claims Increase, Some States Employment Rates Are Bouncing Back

November 22, 2020November 21, 2020 Georgia Star News Staff

The number of individuals who filed for unemployment benefits last week increased to 742,000, the first increase in five weeks, according to new data published by the U.S. Department of Labor.

The number of people who filed for state unemployment benefits in the week ending Nov. 13 grew by 31,000 from the previous week’s revised level of 711,000, according to the Nov. 19 report.

New Unemployment Claims Increase to 742,000, Missing Expectations

November 20, 2020November 19, 2020 Georgia Star News Staff

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims increased to 742,000 last week as the economy continued to suffer the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to the Department of Labor.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) figure released Thursday represented an increase of new jobless claims compared to the week ending Nov. 7, in which there were 709,000 new jobless claims reported. New jobless claims have been below 800,000 for five consecutive weeks.

New Unemployment Claims Miss Expectations, Stay Unchanged

November 5, 2020November 5, 2020 Georgia Star News Staff

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims came in at 751,000 last week as the economy continues to suffer the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to the Department of Labor.

New jobless claims were unchanged compared to the week ending Oct. 24 in which there were also 751,000 new jobless claims reported, the Bureau of Labor and Statistics figure released Thursday showed. New jobless claims have been below 800,000 for three consecutive weeks, according to CNBC.

New Unemployment Claims Decrease to 837,000, Beat Expectations

October 1, 2020November 9, 2020 Georgia Star News Staff

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims decreased to 837,000 last week as the economy continues to suffer the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to the Department of Labor.

The Department of Labor figure released Thursday represented a decrease of new jobless claims compared to the week ending on Sept. 19, in which there were 870,000 new jobless claims reported.