Georgia Unemployment Rate Unchanged at 3.4% in September

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Published December 11th, 2025

Detected March 17th, 2026

Summary

The Georgia Department of Labor announced that the state's unemployment rate remained at 3.4% in September 2025, unchanged from the previous month. While total jobs decreased slightly over the month, they saw an increase over the year, with several sectors reaching all-time highs.

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What changed

The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) has released its September 2025 labor market report, indicating the state's unemployment rate held steady at 3.4%. The report details monthly and annual changes in employment, job gains and losses across various sectors, and labor force participation. Notably, financial activities, health care and social assistance, and leisure and hospitality sectors reached record high employment levels.

This notice serves as an informational update for employers and stakeholders regarding the current state of Georgia's labor market. While no new regulatory requirements or compliance actions are mandated by this report, employers should be aware of the trends in job gains and losses, particularly in sectors like professional and technical services, and administrative and support services, which may influence recruitment and retention strategies.

Source document (simplified)

The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) announced today that Georgia's September 2025 unemployment rate was 3.4%, unchanged from August. The unemployment rate is one percentage point lower than the national rate.

"Georgia's economy is changing, but our commitment remains firm: We will support businesses, empower workers, and create mortgage-paying jobs that sustain families and strengthen our state for the future," said Labor Commissioner Bárbara Rivera Holmes. "For years we've invested in building a modern, adaptable workforce, and that investment is reflected in Georgia's competitive business climate and consistently low unemployment. Today that work matters more than ever – it's what transforms skilled workers and thriving businesses into lasting opportunity for every Georgian."

Jobs decreased by 3,200 over the month to 4,991,400. Over the year, jobs rose by 24,300.

In September, the sectors reaching all-time highs were financial activities, 285,600; health care and social assistance, 627,200; and leisure and hospitality, 520,900.

The sectors with the most job gains in the past month were professional and technical services, 1,400; finance and insurance, 1,300; local government, 1,000; arts, entertainment, and recreation, 700; and accommodation and food services, 700.

Jobs declined over the month in administrative and support services, 4,200; retail trade, 1,800; information, 1,600; state government, 1,400; and federal government, 900.

The sectors with the most job gains in the past year were health care and social assistance, 25,300; arts, entertainment, and recreation, 5,300; finance and insurance, 4,600; local government, 3,400; and private educational services, 2,700.

Jobs declined over the year in transportation, warehousing, and utilities, 10,700; information, 6,400; federal government, 4,000; construction, 3,400; and wholesale trade, 1,200.

Georgia's labor force increased by 5,879 to 5,387,385 in September and declined by 25,023 over the past year.

Employment rose by 5,429 to 5,205,801 and declined by 9,177 over the past 12 months.

Unemployment rose by 450 to 181,584 in September and was down 15,846 over the past year.

Initial claims increased by 393 in September to 19,014 and declined by 586 over the past year.

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

Media Contact: Director of Communications, 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.