Georgia Unemployment Rate Falls to 5.6%, Beats National Average

Atlanta, GA – Today, Governor Brian P. Kemp issued a statement following the Georgia Department of Labor's announcement that Georgia's unemployment rate had fallen to 5.6% in the month of August, down from 7.6% in July. The national unemployment rate for August stood at 8.4%.

"In Georgia, we continue to make progress in the fight to protect lives and livelihoods," said Governor Kemp. "New cases of COVID-19, current hospitalizations, and positivity rate all continue to decline, and I continue to urge all Georgians to follow Four Things for Fall to keep our state moving in the right direction. While we still face challenges ahead, Georgia has recovered over sixty-five percent of the jobs lost since March and cut our unemployment rate by more than half since April.

"In addition to a strengthening job market, revenues to the state have shown encouraging progress, Georgia has maintained its AAA bond rating, and new economic development projects in July and August have already equaled a third of total projects from the entire previous fiscal year - with $642 million in new investment and over 4,000 jobs announced by the Georgia Department of Economic Development in August alone.

"As the top state for business for a seventh consecutive year, we will continue to be laser-focused on bringing good-paying jobs to the Peach State, supporting families and small businesses, and reviving our state's economy."