Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that Savannah’s unemployment rate decreased in August.

Additionally, Savannah saw a monthly increase in jobs and a monthly decrease in initial claims in August.

“It is very promising that we continue to see the unemployment rate drop month after month, while the job market gets stronger, evoking positive news for Georgia’s economy,” said Commissioner of Labor Mark Butler. “The state as a whole is leading the nation in competitive unemployment rates, coming in at 7^th lowest.” 

In Savannah, the unemployment rate decreased 2.1 percentage points in August, reaching 6.4 percent. A year ago, the rate was 3.5 percent. 

The labor force decreased in August by 4,112 and ended the month with 180,569. That number is down 7,968 when compared to August of 2019.

Savannah finished the month with 169,056 employed residents.  That number decreased by two over the month and is down by 12,851 when compared to the same time a year ago.

Savannah ended August with 177,200. jobs. That number increased by 2,200 from July to August but was down by 9,400 when compared to this time last year.

The number of unemployment claims went down by 44 percent in August. When compared to last August, claims were up by about 1,421 percent.

Employ Georgia, the GDOL’s online job listing service at employgeorgia.com showed about 658 active job postings in metro Savannah for August.