Georgia unemployment rate drops to 3.5% for first time in nearly a year

“Month after month, Georgia shows what’s possible when job creation and economic opportunity are a top priority,” Georgia Labor Commissioner Bárbara Rivera Holmes said in a news release. “More than 5 million Georgians are working today because we never stop fighting for policies that put Georgia first.”

What’s Georgia’s general state of employment?

Georgia jobs increased by 4,900 month over month and by 14,500 year over year to reach a record of nearly 5 million.

Meanwhile, the state’s labor force declined by 4,111 to about 5.4 million in May, and was down almost 30,000 over the past year.

Combined, those forces contributed to the lower unemployment rate, which includes only those who are actively seeking work.

The number of unemployed fell by 2,725 and was down by 1,717 over the past 12 months.

Initial unemployment claims dropped by 1,901 over the month and were down by 899 over the past year.

Where were the biggest increases in jobs?

The sectors that had the biggest increases over the month were:

Three sectors reached record employment in May:

Where were the biggest decreases in jobs?

Areas with the biggest declines over the month include:

Source: Georgia Department of Labor