Georgia Labor Force and Employment Hit Record Highs in February

The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) announced today that in February Georgia’s labor force and employment rose to all-time highs of 5.45 million and 5.25 million, respectively. The February unemployment rate was 3.6%, which is 0.8 percentage point lower than the national unemployment rate and 0.2 percentage point higher than Georgia’s rate one year ago.

"Georgia continues to set record highs in both employment and the size of its workforce. That means more Georgians are working and contributing to our economy than ever before," said Georgia Labor Commissioner Bárbara Rivera Holmes. "Our focus remains on connecting Georgians to good, mortgage-paying jobs and supporting the employers who drive job creation across this state."

In February, Georgia's labor force increased by 5,458 to 5,451,101, an all-time high, and rose by 39,493 over the past year.

Employment rose by 3,940 to 5,256,871, an all-time high, and increased by 28,888 over the past 12 months.

In February, unemployment rose by 1,518 to 194,230 and was up 10,605 over the past year. The rate edged up slightly from a revised 3.5% in January, where it had held since November 2025.

In February, jobs were down 4,200 over the month to 4,977,200 and were down 5,800 over the past 12 months. After January’s data was revised down, Georgia has now shed workers for two months in a row.

The sector reaching an all-time high for jobs in February 2026 was health care and social assistance, 638,400.

In February, the sectors with the most over the month job gains were health care and social assistance, 1,700; information, 900; durable goods manufacturing, 700; management of companies and enterprises, 600; and wholesale trade, 500.

Jobs were down over the month in construction, 3,700; transportation, warehousing, and utilities, 1,400; retail trade, 1,400; accommodation and food services, 1,300; and professional and technical services, 1,200.

The sectors with the most job gains over the past year were health care and social assistance, 22,500; local government, 4,300; state government, 1,400; arts, entertainment, and recreation, 600; and real estate and rental and leasing, 300.

Jobs were down over the year in federal government, 12,200; transportation, warehousing, and utilities, 4,300; retail trade, 3,700; wholesale trade, 3,600; and accommodation and food services, 2,400.

Initial claims were down 11,152 over the month to 16,551 in February and down 3,913 over the year. Initial claims in February 2026 were the fewest claims since 16,719 were filed in November 2025.

Contact Georgia Department of Labor Communications Office
[email protected]
(404) 232-3685

Media Contact: Chief Communications Officer, Shawna Mercer
Email: [email protected]
Phone Number: 678-350-6878

For personalized assistance, employers can reach Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) staff at https://dol.georgia.gov/email-us. For more information on unemployment benefits, claimants should call 877.709.8185 or visit their MyUI Claimant Portal. GDOL's Career Centers also provide in-person unemployment insurance benefit services for customers statewide.

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