Georgia’s unemployment rate edged up slightly in November 2025 but remained well below the national average, according to data released this week by the Georgia Department of Labor.
The state’s unemployment rate stood at 3.5 percent in November, up from a revised 3.4 percent in September. October data was unavailable due to a lapse in federal appropriations tied to the federal government shutdown. Despite the slight increase, Georgia’s rate was 1.1 percentage points lower than the national unemployment rate. One year ago, Georgia’s unemployment rate was 3.6 percent.
“In November, Georgia’s unemployment rate remains more than a full point below the national average, and we’re seeing job growth in sectors that matter most to hardworking Georgians,” said Georgia Labor Commissioner Bárbara Rivera Holmes. “As we head into 2026, we’re staying focused on what keeps Georgia competitive: preparing workers, supporting businesses, and delivering opportunity across our state.”
After three consecutive months of job losses, Georgia saw a modest rebound in November. Total employment increased by 1,000 jobs over the month, bringing the state’s job count to 4,987,500. Over the past year, jobs were up 16,300 statewide.
Two major sectors reached all-time employment highs in November: private education and health services, with 735,600 jobs, and leisure and hospitality, which climbed to 524,900 jobs.
The largest monthly job gains occurred in accommodation and food services (up 1,500), health care and social assistance (up 900), arts, entertainment and recreation (up 800), state government (up 600), and management of companies (up 400).
At the same time, several sectors experienced declines over the month, including federal government (down 1,500), administrative and support services (down 1,400), construction (down 1,000), retail trade (down 800), and finance and insurance (down 600).
Over the past 12 months, the strongest job growth was seen in health care and social assistance, which added 23,800 jobs, followed by administrative and support services (up 6,100), accommodation and food services (up 5,600), arts, entertainment and recreation (up 3,700), and durable goods manufacturing (up 3,200).
Meanwhile, annual job losses were reported in transportation, warehousing and utilities (down 17,000), federal government (down 11,100), information (down 4,200), professional, scientific and technical services (down 2,500), and wholesale trade (down 2,000).
Georgia’s labor force increased by 13,973 in November to 5,401,357, though it declined by 8,032 over the year. Employment rose by 5,925 over the month to 5,211,726, but was down 1,087 compared to a year ago.
The number of unemployed Georgians increased by 8,048 in November to 189,631, though that figure was 6,945 lower than last year. Initial unemployment claims declined to 16,719, down 2,755 from October and 2,600 from November 2024.
State labor officials say the data points to a stabilizing job market heading into 2026, with continued strength in service-based industries despite ongoing challenges in federal and transportation-related sectors.