Pierce County’s estimated unemployment rate continues its up and down pattern, falling half a point in September to 2.4 percent. The decrease in unemployment this month, follows a four tenths of a point increase in August.
Unemployment rates were down in all regions of the state during the month of September, which is a good sign according to State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler.
“We continue to see a steady rise in job creation and demand by employers to fill open positions,” said Commissioner Butler. “This strong growth has led to Georgia having the fewest unemployed residents in over 20 years.”
Pierce County recorded an 8.4 percent unemployment rate in April 2020 at the peak of the shelter in place order caused by the COVID 19 virus and before businesses reopened.
The recovery has been uneven. September’s decrease was nearly identical to August’s increase in the rate.
September’s unemployment rate is three tenths of a point lower than the 2.7 percent rate reported during the same month in 2021.
According to Department of Labor statistics, Pierce County has a labor force of 8,526 with 8,322 employed. The number of those listed as unemployed was 204, down 47 compared to August.
In the Southern Georgia region, the unemployment rate was down six-tenths of a point to 2.7 percent. The rate was 3.3 percent in August. A year ago, the rate was 3.2 percent.
In addition to Pierce, the 18-county South Georgia region includes Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Cook, Echols, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Tift, Turner and Ware.
Statewide, the unemployment rate was 2.5 percent in September, down half a point from August and down seven tenths of a percent from this time last year. Georgia hit a peak of over 9 % in unemployment in April 2020 at the height of the pandemic.
Employ Georgia, the GDOL’s online job listing service at employgeorgia.com showed about 1,073 active job postings in Southern Georgia.
