Georgia Unemployment Rate Falls to 5.6%, Beats National Average

Governor Brian P. Kemp has 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. [Wear a mask, practice social distancing, wash your hands regularly, and follow the guidance of public health officials detailed in the Executive Orders.] While we still face challenges ahead, Georgia has recovered over 65% 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.'