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

Additionally, Macon 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 Macon, the unemployment rate decreased 2.3 percentage points in August, reaching 6 percent. A year ago, the rate was 4.1 percent.

The labor force decreased in August by 2,703 and ended the month with 97,303. That number is down 5,343 when compared to August of 2019. 

Macon finished the month with 91,510 employed residents.  That number decreased by 233 over the month and is down by 6,920 when compared to the same time a year ago. 

Macon ended August with 98,000. jobs. That number increased by 1,200 from July to August but was down by 5,000 when compared to this time last year.

The number of unemployment claims went down by 53 percent in August. When compared to last August, claims were up by about 925 percent. 

Employ Georgia, the GDOL’s online job listing service at employgeorgia.com showed about 2,391 active job postings in metro Macon for August.