Georgia unemployment rate sees slight uptick

ATLANTA — Georgia’s unemployment rate rose slightly last month to 3.4% from 3.3%, the state Department of Labor reported Thursday.

Still, joblessness in the Peach State in September was four-tenths of a percentage point lower than the national average.

“In the face of Georgia’s resilient, opportunity-filled economy, we find ourselves at a pivotal crossroads, navigating the delicate balance between surging industry demands and an available workforce,” Georgia Commissioner of Labor Bruce Thompson said Thursday. “As job numbers continue to outpace available talent, it will require all hands on deck to help maintain Georgia’s decadelong reign as the No. 1 place to do business.”

Jobs were up by 17,100 over the month and up by 96,100 over the year to an all-time high of more than 4.9 million.

Record job numbers were posted in the private education and health services sector at 670,100. Leisure and hospitality reported 529,600 jobs, followed by financial activities with 284,600.

The construction sector achieved a remarkable milestone, reaching 225,000 jobs and surpassing the prior peak set in March 2007.

The labor force was up by 17,272 last month to an all-time high of more than 5.3 million. Georgia’s labor force participation rate increased to 61.5 %, up from 61% since the beginning of the year.

The number of employed rose by 12,355 in September to a record of more than 5.1 million.

First-time unemployment claims declined by 17% last month to 20,965. For the year, initial claims were down by 3%.

There were 96,000 job listings posted last month on the Labor department’s website. The top five occupations listed included health care with 17,375 jobs; sales with 12,375; and hospitality, food and tourism with 8,925.