“Georgia's unemployment rate remains below the national average, but businesses face growing pressure, including finding and retaining top-tier talent,” said Commissioner Bruce Thompson. “As we attract diverse companies across the state, we must remain focused on developing the skills needed to meet critical workforce demands without reallocating talent between industries. By prioritizing our labor force, we can further strengthen Georgia as a place where both businesses and individuals can thrive together.”

The labor force increased in Augusta by 95 and ended the month with 264,658. That number went up by 4,173 when compared to October of 2022.

Augusta finished the month with 254,485 employed residents. That number decreased by 133 over-the-month and rose by 3,462 when compared to the same time a year ago.

Augusta ended October with 245,900 jobs. That number increased by 2,300 from September to October and was up by 2,100 when compared to this time last year.

In October, initial unemployment claims increased by 11 (2%) in Augusta. When you compare October 2023 claims to October 2022, claims were up by 26 (4%).