ATLANTA — The unemployment rate for December rose to 3.6%, up from a revised 3.5% in November, the Georgia Department of Labor reported Thursday.
It remained 0.8 percentage points lower than the national average. The state added 5,000 jobs this month, marking the second consecutive month of job growth.
December’s unemployment rate is equal to the rate from one year ago.
“In December, Georgia continued to add jobs for a second straight month, with the unemployment rate remaining well below the national average. That consistency matters as we head into 2026. We’re focused on strengthening the sectors driving job creation, preparing Georgians for in-demand careers and turning job growth into real opportunity across the state,” Georgia Labor Commissioner Bárbara Rivera Holmes stated.
In total, Georgia’s job count reached 4,991,700, with the total number of jobs increasing by 7,400 compared to last December.
Georgia’s labor force increased by 11,328 in December, now totaling 5,412,470. Employment reached an all-time high of 5,219,749, which is an increase of 8,162 jobs since last month.
However, unemployment also rose by 3,166 to 192,721, while initial claims for unemployment benefits increased by 9,932 from the previous month to a total of 26,651 claims.
Key sectors reaching peak employment levels in December included private education at 737,500 jobs and health services at 176,600 jobs.
The most significant job gains in December were in administrative support services, with 4,500 jobs added, followed by health care and social assistance, which saw an increase of 2,000 jobs, the state’s report said.
Other sectors that experienced gains included non-durable goods manufacturing and local government, with 1,000 each. Both professional and technical services as well as real estate and rental leasing had 800 new jobs each.
Despite the net growth, some sectors faced job losses over the month, including retail trade at 2,000 jobs, accommodation and food services at 1,400 jobs and construction at 1,000 jobs.
Over the past year, significant job gains were recorded in health care and social assistance with 19,300 jobs, administrative and support services with 13,000 jobs, and durable goods manufacturing with 6,000 jobs. Transportation, warehousing and utilities saw the largest decline, losing 16,900 jobs compared to the previous year.
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