The Georgia Department of Labor announced on Apr. 2 that the state’s unemployment rate for January 2026 remained at 3.5 percent, unchanged from December. This figure is 0.8 percentage point lower than the national unemployment rate for the same period, while Georgia’s rate was slightly lower at 3.4 percent one year ago.
These figures are significant as they indicate continued job growth and economic stability in Georgia, with both labor force participation and total employment reaching new record highs.
“Georgia continues to lead as one of the nation’s Top States for Talent,” said Georgia Labor Commissioner Bárbara Rivera Holmes. “With record highs in both our labor force and employment, more Georgians are stepping into mortgage-paying jobs and opportunity, while employers continue choosing Georgia to grow and succeed. This is the advantage of a state that’s built for jobs, powered by talent, and focused on what comes next.”
In January, the number of jobs increased by 1,200 over the previous month to reach a total of 4,984,300 statewide. Over the past twelve months, job numbers grew by 9,300 following three consecutive months of losses between August and October last year; since then Georgia has seen three straight months of job gains.
Several sectors achieved all-time high job levels in January: construction reached 237,500 positions while health care and social assistance climbed to 636,000 jobs. The largest monthly increases were seen in retail trade (2,200), health care and social assistance (2,100), construction (1,300), transportation/warehousing/utilities (1,200), and accommodation/food services (800). Conversely there were declines in administrative/support services (-2,200), wholesale trade (-1,200), durable goods manufacturing (-900), federal government (-800) and private educational services (-600).
Over the past year health care/social assistance led sector growth with an increase of 22,200 jobs followed by construction (+5,700) local government (+4,400) state government (+1 ,300) arts/entertainment/recreation (+900) real estate/rental/leasing (+900) accommodation/food services (+900). Federal government positions fell by -12 ,500; wholesale trade dropped -4 ,100; information sector declined -4 ,000; transportation/warehousing/utilities lost -2 ,300; retail trade decreased -1 ,400.
Georgia’s labor force rose by more than four thousand in January alone—reaching an all-time high—and saw a yearly increase exceeding thirty-two thousand participants. Employment also hit a new peak at over five million two hundred fifty-two thousand people working statewide.
Unemployment rose modestly over both monthly (+2 ,383)and yearly(+8 ,282 ) periods but initial claims were down nearly seven thousand compared to last year despite a slight uptick from December.
