Home › News › Nov 2023

October Unemployment Rate Remains Unchanged in Metro Atlanta

Monday, November 27th, 2023

Georgia Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson said Thursday that Atlanta recorded an unemployment rate of 3.4 percent in October, unchanged from a revised 3.4 percent in September. A year ago, the rate was 2.9 percent.
 
“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 decreased in Atlanta by 7,069 and ended the month with 3,267,569. This number increased by 76,282 when compared to October 2022.

The number of employed decreased by 7,886 to 3,154,884 in October. From October 2022 to October 2023, the number of employed was up by 57,214.

The number of unemployed was up by 797 to 112,684 in October. From October 2022 to October 2023, the number of unemployed was up by 19,068.

Atlanta ended October with 3,096,500 jobs, an all-time high. Jobs were up 23,500 (0.8%) over the month and up 64,900 (2.1%) over the year. In October, there 49,500 job listings in the Atlanta MSA.

The sectors with the most over-the-year job gains included Health Care and Social Assistance, 23,800; Accommodation and Food Services, 17,400; Real Estate, Rental, and Leasing, 7,800; Wholesale Trade, 5,600; and Local Government, 5,100.

Over the year, jobs were down in Administrative and Support Services, -9,500; Retail Trade, -4,100; and Telecommunications, -2,100.

The sectors with the most over-the-month job gains included Health Care and Social Assistance, 6,800; Transportation and Warehousing, 3,000; Retail Trade, 2,900; Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services, 2,800; and Accommodation and Food Services, 2,400.

Over the month, jobs were down in Repair and Maintenance, -1,100; Local Government, -800; and Finance and Insurance, -600.

The number of initial unemployment claims went up by 960 (8%) over-the-month to 12,589 in October. Initial claims were up by 2,577 (26%) over-the-year.