New unemployment figures show Georgia’s recovery from the economic shock of the pandemic is slowing. August saw the fewest number of new jobs added since the state’s labor market began bouncing back in May. The state’s job market remains short of where it was before COVID-19 led to layoffs. Georgia’s unemployment rate fell in August fell to 5.6%. That’s down from 7.6% in July.
The number of unemployed Georgians fell by more than 100,000. But the decrease in jobless people mainly stemmed from the labor force falling by 90,000. Only 20,000 more people reported finding jobs. A separate survey of employer payrolls also shows slower hiring. Georgia businesses employed 4.43 million people in August, up 22,000 from June.
