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

Additionally, Albany 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 Albany, the unemployment rate decreased 2.3 percentage points in August, reaching 6.5 percent. A year ago, the rate was 4.5 percent.

The labor force decreased in August by 1,779 and ended the month with 63,374. That number is down 3,069 when compared to August of 2019.

Albany finished the month with 59,250 employed residents.  That number decreased by 144 over the month and is down by 4,197 when compared to the same time a year ago. 

Albany ended August with 60,300. jobs. That number increased by 500 from July to August but was down by 2,600 when compared to this time last year. 

The number of unemployment claims went down by 51 percent in August. When compared to last August, claims were up by about 935 percent.

Employ Georgia, the GDOL’s online job listing service at employgeorgia.com showed about 952 active job postings in metro Albany for August.