December 2025 | Released January 27, 2026

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United States

Employment snapshot

• In December, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia unemployment fell in 8, rose in 21, and remained unchanged in 22.

• The highest unemployment rate was 6.7 percent in District of Columbia, and the lowest was 2.2 percent in Hawaii and South Dakota. Nationally, the unemployment rate fell by 0.1 percentage point to 4.4 percent.

• In December, payroll jobs rose in 23 states and fell in 27. The largest payroll job percent increase was 0.4 percent in Delaware and Montana. The largest payroll job percent decline was 0.3 percent in Kansas and Nebraska.

Georgia

Employment snapshot

• In December, Georgia added 5,000 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage point to 3.6 percent. In the prior month, Georgia added 200 net payroll jobs.

• Over the past 12 months, Georgia added 7,400 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate remained unchanged.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 50,000 in December, or 0 percent. Georgia ranks 33rd in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• In December, Georgia’s private sector added 4,500 net private payroll jobs, and over the past 12 months it added 15,100 private payroll jobs. In the prior month, Georgia added 500 net private payroll jobs.

• In December, employment in Georgia rose by 8,162, and over the past 12 months it rose by 7,021.

• Georgia’s labor force participation rate rose to 60.7 percent in December from 60.6 percent and ranks 37th in the nation. In the past 12 months, the labor force participation rate has fallen by 0.6 percentage points.

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Georgia

Payroll employment

• Georgia added 5,000 net payroll jobs, or 0.1 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during December. In the prior month, Georgia added 200 jobs. Georgia nonfarm payroll employment has increased in 8 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 50,000 in December, or 0 percent. Georgia ranks 33rd in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• Georgia added 4,500 private sector jobs, or 0.1 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during December. In the prior month, Georgia added 500 jobs. Georgia private sector payroll employment has increased in 9 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, private sector payroll jobs rose by 37,000 jobs in December, or 0 percent. Georgia is tied for 27th in the nation for percentage gain in private sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.

From November 2025 to December 2025:

• The best performing sectors were Professional and Business Services (+4,700) and Private Education and Health Services (+2,100).
• The worst performing sectors were Leisure and Hospitality (-2,300) and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (-1,500).

From December 2024 to December 2025:

• The best performing sectors were Private Education and Health Services (+23,100) and Professional and Business Services (+14,500).
• The worst performing sectors were Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (-23,700) and Federal Government (-12,100).

Georgia

Labor force

The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the civilian noninstitutionalized population age 16 and older who are employed or actively looking for work.

• The labor force participation rate in Georgia rose to 60.7 percent in December from 60.6 percent in the prior month.

• Georgia ranks 37th in the nation.

• The 10-year high for the labor force participation rate in Georgia was 63.9 percent occurring in June 2017, and the 10-year low was 59.6 percent occurring in August 2020.

• The national labor force participation rate fell by 0.1 percentage points to 62.4 percent in December.