Georgia Still Adding Jobs, though Public Sector Lagging Behind

Though still not firing on all cylinders, Georgia’s economy continues to add jobs at a comparatively strong pace, according to new data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Georgia’s rate of job growth has exceeded the national average over the past 12 months (1.65 percent vs. 1.43 percent), and the state’s jobless rate has fallen to its lowest point in nearly four years (8.5 percent). But the state’s economy has regained only about two-fifths of the jobs it lost during the Great Recession, partly because ongoing budget cuts have kept employment in Georgia’s public sector abnormally low. Despite the recent improvement, the state remains several years away from full recovery. Download the fact sheet.