Georgia nonfarm employment, January-September 2021
Georgia added 14,300 nonfarm jobs in September after seeing
a net decline of 700 jobs in August, according to new and revised seasonally
adjusted data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Although the 29-county area that makes up metropolitan
Atlanta accounts for more than 60% of the state’s nonfarm jobs, it contributed
only a third of the state’s job growth in September.
Georgia’s other 13 metro areas reported a net increase of less
than a tenth of the state’s increase, with the majority of job growth occurring
in the state’s rural area, according to BLS.
The state recorded an unemployment rate of 3.2% in
September, down from 3.5% reported in August.
Before seasonal adjustment, both the state and the metro
Atlanta’s unemployment rate in September came in at 2.5%.
Atlanta and statewide employment
Before seasonal adjustment, the Atlanta metro area saw an
increase of 4,000 jobs in September, all of which belonged to the government
sector (Federal, state, and local governments).
Private sector employment fell by 1,700 jobs in the Atlanta
metro area. The rest of Georgia, excluding the Atlanta area, saw a net gain of
1,900 private sector jobs over the month.
Construction jobs grew by 500 in the Atlanta area and the
state added another 500 jobs in the rest of the state.
Manufacturing jobs grew by 1,300 jobs in the Atlanta metro
area even as the rest of the state recorded a decline of 1,600 jobs.
Health care and social assistance jobs fell by 3,300 in the
metro Atlanta area but rose by 1,200 in the rest of Georgia.
Employment in food services and drinking places dropped by
3,000 in metro Atlanta, while the rest of Georgia saw a loss of 1,800 jobs.
As mentioned above, government jobs were a bright spot for
the Atlanta metro area, rising by 5,700 over the month. The rest of Georgia saw
a net increase of 700 jobs in September.
