Peach Tree Times

The state’s unemployment rate continues to fall as signs of economic recovery deepen.

The Georgia Department of Labor reported that the state's unemployment rate dropped to 3.1% in October, accounting for the lowest recorded unemployment rate in the state's history and way below the national average of 4.6%, according to the Athens Banner-Herald.

“We were very proactive at the beginning of the pandemic working with the governor's office to include plans for reopening and getting Georgians back to work quicker,” Mark Butler, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Labor, told the Peach Tree Times. “We worked specifically with employers to keep workers attached to their jobs leading to Georgia having the lowest unemployment rate in our history and the lowest rate of the 10 most populous states in America.”

The state has seen 18 consecutive months of improved unemployment rates and was named "top state for doing business" for the eighth year in a row by Area Development, a corporate site selection magazine.

“We have continued to work with employers and our economic development partners in reopening the state for business and, in turn, attracting a record number of jobs,” Butler said. “We have lots of room to grow and there is an urgent need for more workers to join the workforce to meet this critical employment demand.”

Gov. Brian Kemp said that the state's economy would continue to remain robust thanks to its pro-business stance.

"Georgia's economy continues to outpace the rest of the nation with strong job growth, an all-time low unemployment rate and the fewest unemployed Georgians in 20 years," Kemp said in a press release. "As we pass 200,000 jobs added in the last year, we're not taking our foot off the gas. Thanks to our pro-business environment, unmatched workforce development assets, and low cost of doing business, companies from around the world are looking to relocate to the Peach State, and Georgia-grown businesses are hiring more workers and expanding operations."

The Athens Banner-Herald reported that the state has regained 90% of its jobs that had been lost during the pandemic. Butler said this should encourage citizens to rejoin the workforce if they haven’t already done so.