According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate included 193,100 workers in January 2025. The number was down 3,400 workers from the previous month.
Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained steady at 3.6% between December 2024 and January 2025. In contrast, the U.S. seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped from 4.1% to 4%.
States with a larger share of their employment in industries with low unemployment rates often have lower unemployment rates than the national average. Changes in the unemployment rate can signal changes in the labor market and economy.
Job Growth in Georgia and the United States
The University of Georgia Extension’s 2025 Overall U.S. and Georgia Economic Outlook anticipates Georgia’s number of jobs will increase by 1% in 2025. Conversely, the U.S. should experience 0.6% job growth.
Although most Georgia businesses will be hiring, the fastest job growth should be in homebuilding due to falling mortgage rates and a shortage of homes for sale. Health services jobs will increase because of ongoing healthcare needs and favorable demographic trends. However, retail and information jobs are expected to decline due to online competition and technological advances.
Economic Development in Georgia and the United States
Georgia’s economy is expected to grow faster than the US economy for the following reasons:
- Industry diversity
- Excellent transportation and logistics infrastructure
- Competitive tax climate
- State and local government relationships with businesses
- Low costs of living and doing business
- Supportive demographics
Workforce Development in Georgia and the United States
Prioritization of workforce training strengthens Georgia’s ongoing economic development. For instance, economic developers ranked Quick Start, offered by the Technical College System of Georgia, the country’s best workforce development program for 14 consecutive years.
Georgia’s workforce-focused approach attracts businesses, increases productivity, and elevates per capita incomes. The emphasis on workforce development is one reason the state’s population growth is expected to be twice the US average in 2025.
Manufacturing, transportation, and logistics
Manufacturing in Georgia is expected to rise more quickly than the US average in 2025:
- Food processing is the state’s largest manufacturing industry.
- Growing demand for single-family homes will increase the number of building materials manufacturers.
- Electric vehicle and battery manufacturing facilities in development will create thousands of jobs.
Georgia’s transportation industry is anticipated to expand and outperform the US average. The growing shift to online retail and manufacturers’ reliance on producing goods in diverse countries contribute to the abundance of logistics and distribution projects in development.
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