Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that River Valley saw a drop in the unemployment rate from July to August as the labor force increased by over 400. 

"Although we are seeing fewer unemployed individuals now than before the pandemic started, we are also still seeing a decreased total number of people in the workforce when compared to numbers recorded prior to the pandemic,” said Commissioner Mark Butler. “This will continue to cause a hiring crunch until we can attract more people back to the workforce to fill the record number of job openings.”

In River Valley, the unemployment rate decreased one-tenth of a percent to 4.3 percent in August. A year ago, the rate was 7.7 percent.

The labor force increased in August by 444 to 144,739. That number is up 3,475 over-the-year.

River Valley ended August with 138,482 employed residents.  The number increased by 539 in August and was up 8,094 as compared to last year.

Initial claims for unemployment increased 14 percent in August. When compared to last August, claims were down about 47 percent.

Employ Georgia, the GDOL’s online job listing service at employgeorgia.com showed 3,581 active job postings in River Valley for August.

Visit gdol.ga.gov to learn more about career opportunities, Employ Georgia, and other GDOL services for job seekers and employers.  Don’t forget to connect with us on social media.

TABLES AND GRAPHS REFLECTING LABOR MARKET DATA ARE AVAILABLE AT: https://dol.georgia.gov/current-labor-force-data-and-graphs

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