Peach Tree Times

Whatever Georgia is doing, it’s working in an unprecedented fashion. The state’s unemployment rate fell for the 18th-straight month, down to an all-time low of 3.1% in October 2021.

“Additionally, Georgia marked the addition of more than 200,000 jobs over the last year, and the number of unemployed Georgians was reported at the lowest level since June 2001 (158,107),” according to a release from the governor’s office.

The unemployment rate stood at a record-tying 3.3% in September. The previous all-time low of 3.3% was also reached in 1973 and January 2020 before the pandemic began, according to WSB-TV. The October record is a welcome figure, after being at 5.9% in October 2020.

Employer payrolls, the top labor market measure for economists, according to the release, rose by 21,000 in the state in October, totaling 4.61 million, which is nearly 200,000 above payroll levels a year ago.

"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," Gov. Brian Kemp said in the 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."

Despite thousands of people switching jobs, Georgia is just about 61,000 jobs short of the level that it had in pre-pandemic February of 2020 as the state continues toward economic recovery, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.