Georgia job seekers still below pre-pandemic numbers, state unemployment sets new record low
ATLANTA - The Georgia Department of Labor said the state record employment numbers and the lowest unemployment rate in the state's recorded history in its November report.
The DOL said the number of employed Georgians increased by 11,983 from October to November. The total of 5,027,981 employed Georgians is the highest number ever.
The unemployment rate reached an all-time low of 2.8% in November.
The labor force remains down by about 32,000 jobs compared to March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
"We have fully recovered from this pandemic when it comes to employed Georgians, employing more people today than before the pandemic struck," Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler. "The hard work is still in front of us as job creation is outpacing new workers in the labor force."
Georgia's unemployment rate was 1.4% lower than the national unemployment rate of 4.2%.
Georgia has re-gained most of the jobs lost during the pandemic but the number of job seekers was still below pre-pandemic numbers.
Employer payrolls in Georgia were above last year's figures by about 193,000 after they rose by 13,000 in November.
Payrolls are approximately 1% below their pre-pandemic peak according to an employer survey.
The nationwide jobless rate fell to 4.2% in November from 4.6% in September.
Georgia ended expanded unemployment benefits in June 2021.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.