Georgia labor commissioner calls for ‘bold action’

(The Center Square) – Georgia Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson called for “bold action” after the state’s unemployment rate rose for the fourth straight month.

The unemployment rate increased from 3.4% in July to 3.6% in August, according to Thompson’s office.

“Georgia’s growing labor force and business-friendly economy have kept us at the top as the best state to do business for 11 straight years, but our work is far from over,” Thompson said. “Unemployment has risen for the fourth month in a row, with more Georgians entering the workforce than ever before. Bold action is needed to ensure every Georgian can benefit from the opportunities created by our job creators.”

The number of unemployed Georgians increased by 6,933 to 192,612, which is the highest total since July 2021, according to the labor department.

The state also has fewer employed people – 5,218,015 – a drop of 1,631. It’s the first decrease since 2023, the labor department said.

The health care and social assistance sector had the most job gains from July to August, with 2,900, followed by private educational services with 1,700 and information at 1,500. Motion picture and sound recording industries are part of the information sector, according to the labor department.

The durable goods manufacturing sector lost 2,500 jobs in August. Other industries seeing sharp declines were the repair and maintenance sector, with a decrease of 2,000, and administrative and support services, with a 1,200 drop.

The national unemployment rate is 4.2%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.