Georgia lost jobs in September, says first report since the federal shutdown
Georgia’s job market cooled some in September but the unemployment rate remained steady, according to new data released Thursday by the state Department of Labor.
Georgia lost 3,200 jobs over the month after posting job gains in August. Still, employment remains positive over the year, with the state adding a total of 24,300 jobs.
The state unemployment rate was 3.4% in September, unchanged from July and August and down from a high of 3.6% earlier in the year. Georgia’s jobless rate is a whole percentage point below the national rate.
The Thursday report provides the first glimpse in months into the state labor market. The Georgia Department of Labor stopped publishing its regular updates during the federal government shutdown, which spanned the entire month of October and into the first weeks of November.
In September, Georgia saw jobs decline in sectors such as administrative and support services, which lost 4,200 jobs, and state and federal government, which combined dipped by 2,300 jobs. The retail trade and information sectors also posted job losses.
The state gained jobs in sectors including professional and technical services, which added 1,400 jobs, and finance and insurance, which increased by 1,300 jobs. Local government employment also rose by 1,000 jobs.
Nationally, employers added 119,000 jobs in September but the unemployment rate ticked up to 4.4%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which released the data in late November.
The University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business predicts the state unemployment rate could tick up to an average of 4.1% in 2026 amid slower growth, according to a new economic outlook from the Selig Center for Economic Growth.
“Job growth will be more narrowly based than usual,” says the report. “Health services, private education, data centers, AI, software development, IT services, cybersecurity, finance, insurance, manufacturing, and local governments will add jobs.
“Employment will hold steady in transportation, logistics, and utilities. Jobs will be lost in construction, retailing, information, restaurants, hotels, real estate, and the federal and state government,” the Selig Center report said.
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