Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Augusta’s unemployment rate decreased in August.

Additionally, Augusta saw a monthly increase in jobs and a monthly decrease in initial claims in August. 

“It is very promising that we continue to see the unemployment rate drop month after month, while the job market gets stronger, evoking positive news for Georgia’s economy,” said Commissioner of Labor Mark Butler. “The state as a whole is leading the nation in competitive unemployment rates, coming in at 7^th lowest.”

In Augusta, the unemployment rate decreased 2.1 percentage points in August, reaching 5.3 percent. A year ago, the rate was 3.8 percent.

The labor force decreased in August by 6,783 and ended the month with 256,524. That number is down 10,263 when compared to August of 2019.

Augusta finished the month with 242,894 employed residents.  That number decreased by 914 over the month and is down by 13,628 when compared to the same time a year ago. 

Augusta ended August with 230,300. jobs. That number increased by 2,100 from July to August but was down by 11,900 when compared to this time last year. 

The number of unemployment claims went down by 56 percent in August. When compared to last August, claims were up by about 740 percent.

Employ Georgia, the GDOL’s online job listing service at employgeorgia.com showed about 5,900 active job postings in metro Augusta for August.