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

Additionally, Southwest Georgia saw a monthly increase in employed residents and a monthly decrease in initial claims for 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 Southwest Georgia, the unemployment rate decreased by 1.9 percentage points, dropping the rate to 5.5 percent. A year ago, the rate was 4.2 percent.

The labor force decreased in August by 2,372. The August total was 141,000. That number is down by 6,483 from the total from August 2019.

Southwest Georgia ended August with 133,287 employed residents.  The number increased by 487 in August but was down 7,932 as compared to last year.

Initial claims for unemployment decreased by 48 percent in August. When compared to last August, claims were up by about 962 percent.

Employ Georgia, the GDOL’s online job listing service at employgeorgia.com showed 2,152 active job postings in Southwest Georgia for August.