Georgia's labor market: a record workforce, tight metros, flat payrolls.
C3 Workforce publishes labor market research for the markets our clients and candidates ask about most. Here is Georgia, on the July 2026 data: the numbers, the plants and the port that are changing, what employers pay, and the rules an employer carries across the state line.
Sources: Georgia Department of Labor, Georgia Employment Situation, July 2026, released August 20, 2026; BLS Economy at a Glance, Georgia, July 2026 preliminary; Georgia Ports Authority release, August 11, 2026.
What is happening in Georgia right now.
Seven things the data says, with sources. Georgia's household survey and payroll survey point in different directions this year, so each number names its survey.
Start with the two surveys. Georgia's unemployment rate was 3.3 percent in July 2026, unchanged from July 2025 and 0.8 points below the U.S. rate. The labor force hit an all time high of 5,480,790, up 67,210 over the year, and employed residents hit their own record at 5,301,774, up 68,807. That is the household survey. The payroll survey says nonfarm jobs were 4,977,500, down 9,200 over the month and 15,700 over the year. More Georgians are working and looking for work than ever, while the count of jobs on employer payrolls is slightly lower than a year ago. Initial unemployment claims were 20,150 in July, down 4,677 from July 2025.
Sources: Georgia Department of Labor, Georgia Employment Situation, July 2026, released August 20, 2026; BLS Economy at a Glance, Georgia, July 2026 preliminary.
Manufacturing is flat and the mix is shifting. Manufacturing employment was 426,300 in July 2026, down 0.2 percent over the year; durable goods added 700 in July and 2,900 over the year while nondurable goods lost 1,300 in the month. Construction was 232,500, down 1.4 percent over the year despite a July gain of 1,100. Trade, transportation and utilities was 1,030,400, down 0.6 percent. Over the year the growth sat in health care and social assistance, up 20,700, while professional services fell 11,500, federal government 9,800 and finance and insurance 4,100.
Sources: BLS Economy at a Glance, Georgia, July 2026 preliminary; Georgia Department of Labor, July 2026 sector detail.
The coast is the growth story. Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America in Ellabell began building a third vehicle, the Kia Sportage Hybrid, in June 2026, and the adjacent $5 billion HL GA battery plant delivered its first EV batteries to the Metaplant in July 2026. Savannah metro manufacturing employment was 25,900 in July, up 2.4 percent over the year, and Savannah's unemployment rate was 2.7 percent, the lowest of any metro in our research. Around the plant, Georgia Transformer is adding 400 jobs in Rincon and a $50 million EV supplier expansion in Effingham County adds 100.
Sources: Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America release, June 3, 2026; Atlanta Business Chronicle, July 10, 2026; BLS Economy at a Glance, Savannah, and Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment, July 2026 preliminary; Savannah Morning News, April 23, 2026; WTOC, May 1, 2026.
The port keeps growing. The Port of Savannah handled 503,739 TEUs in July 2026, up 5.7 percent over the year, with imports of 251,888 TEUs (up 5 percent) and exports of nearly 115,000 TEUs (up 7.7 percent). The Port of Brunswick moved 51,704 auto units, up 5.3 percent, and Savannah runs about 15,000 truck gate moves a day. A University of Georgia study for the Georgia Ports Authority puts port linked employment at 605,616 jobs and $181 billion in annual sales, 12 percent of statewide employment.
Sources: Georgia Ports Authority release, August 11, 2026; UGA Selig Center for Economic Growth study for the Georgia Ports Authority, released September 1, 2026.
Aerospace is hiring across three regions. In Savannah, Gulfstream posted record first quarter deliveries and added more than 60 apprentices from the high school class of 2026. Lockheed Martin's Marietta plant marked 75 years of production in June 2026. In Middle Georgia, Robins Air Force Base launched a hiring drive for 600 civilian jobs in August 2026, and Unified Legacy is building a $125 million aerospace and defense metal fabrication plant in Macon with 500 jobs, opening in 2027. In Columbus, Pratt & Whitney announced a $200 million expansion in February 2026, initially 15 new jobs on top of nearly 400 added in its 2023 expansion, at a plant that makes GTF, F117, F100 and F135 engine parts.
Sources: AeroTime, April 29, 2026; Gulfstream News, June 5, 2026; Georgia Department of Economic Development, June 17, 2026 and February 24, 2026; 13WMAZ and CBS News, August 4 and 5, 2026; WGXA and 13WMAZ, May 2026.
The announcement pipeline is a record, and data centers are pulling on the trades. Georgia recorded $35.2 billion in announced business investment in the state fiscal year ended June 30, 2026. This summer added Siemens' $185 million electrical equipment plant in Pendergrass with 1,400 jobs, Walmart's next generation fulfillment center in Carnesville with 1,000 jobs, and Rivian's Atlanta headquarters targeting 500 jobs while its Social Circle plant is under construction. Metro Atlanta construction employment is nonetheless down 1.6 percent over the year; the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported on September 13, 2026 that the data center build out is a stress test for Georgia construction firms because it concentrates demand in specialized trades. The Atlanta Fed's July Beige Book described district employment as flat to slightly down, wage increases averaging 2 to 3 percent, and trucking volumes above year earlier levels for the first time since 2021.
Sources: WRDW citing Georgia Department of Economic Development, September 3, 2026; AJC and FOX 5 Atlanta, August 7 and 10, 2026; Georgia Department of Economic Development, August 27, 2026; The EV Report, August 10, 2026; BLS Economy at a Glance, Atlanta, July 2026; AJC, September 13, 2026; Federal Reserve Beige Book, Sixth District, July 15, 2026.
Layoffs are real and concentrated in batteries, distribution and suppliers. SK Battery America cut 958 jobs in Commerce in March 2026, the largest manufacturing layoff in the state this year. Republic National Distributing Co. is closing its Georgia operations after a bankruptcy filing, 558 workers across three WARN filings in late August and early September. Home Depot cut 800 in the Atlanta area in February. Asama Coldwater Manufacturing, a Honda brake parts supplier, closed its east central Georgia plant with 107 jobs in July, Tyson Foods closed a 168 worker prepared foods plant in April, Jacuzzi closed in Valdosta with more than 100, and Yamaha shifted 100 production jobs out of Newnan in August.
Sources: AJC, Fortune and Manufacturing Dive, March 6, 2026; CBS News, September 1, 2026; WSB TV, February 3, 2026; Augusta Chronicle and 13WMAZ, July 9 to 23, 2026; CBS News, April 3, 2026; Atlanta Business Chronicle and AJC, May 13 to 14, 2026; Newnan Times Herald, August 4, 2026.
Atlanta, the coast and the I 85 corridor.
Where the plants are and how each metro is running, July 2026.
Metro Atlanta is where I 85 and I 75 cross, and it holds 3,107,300 of the state's 4,977,500 payroll jobs. Lockheed Martin's Air Force Plant 6 in Marietta and Delta TechOps at the airport anchor aerospace; Mercedes Benz runs its North American headquarters and research hub here, and Rivian opened its headquarters in August 2026. UCB is building a $2 billion biologics plant in Gwinnett County. Follow I 85 northeast and the industrial announcements line up: Siemens' 1,400 job electrical equipment plant in Pendergrass (Jackson County), SK Battery America in Commerce (958 jobs cut in March 2026), and Walmart's 1,000 job fulfillment center in Carnesville (Franklin County). Northwest on I 75, Qcells began solar cell production in Cartersville in June 2026 at what Hanwha describes as the largest U.S. solar cell factory.
Sources: BLS Economy at a Glance, Atlanta and Georgia, July 2026 preliminary; Georgia Department of Economic Development, June 17, 2026 and May 22, 2025; The EV Report, August 10, 2026; Monroe Local News, May 2, 2026; AJC, August 7, 2026; AJC and Manufacturing Dive, March 6, 2026; Georgia Department of Economic Development, August 27, 2026; Hanwha, June 11, 2026.
Savannah and the coast run on I 16 and I 95. The Hyundai Metaplant in Ellabell (Bryan County) and the HL GA battery plant beside it sit just off I 16, with PHA's door module plant at the Savannah Chatham Manufacturing Center and Georgia Transformer's 400 job expansion in Rincon in the supplier ring. Gulfstream builds business jets beside the Savannah airport, and the Port of Brunswick is one of the country's largest auto import gateways. Middle Georgia is defense: Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins is hiring 600 civilians, and Unified Legacy's 500 job Macon plant opens in 2027. On the Alabama line, Kia Georgia in West Point built its five millionth vehicle and launched 2027 Telluride hybrid production in February 2026, and Pratt & Whitney is expanding in Columbus.
Sources: Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, June 3, 2026; Georgia Department of Economic Development, March 6, 2023 (PHA) and February 24, 2026 (Pratt & Whitney); Savannah Morning News, April 23, 2026; Georgia Ports Authority, August 11, 2026; 13WMAZ, August 4, 2026; WGXA, May 2026; WTVM, February 24, 2026.
| Metro area | Unemployment, July 2026 | July 2025 | Payroll jobs, July 2026 | Change over year | Manufacturing jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Sandy Springs Roswell | 3.2% | 3.4% | 3,107,300 | down 0.1% | 177,500 (down 0.6%) |
| Savannah | 2.7% | 2.9% | 216,200 | down 0.1% | 25,900 (up 2.4%) |
| Georgia, seasonally adjusted | 3.3% | 3.3% | 4,977,500 | down 0.3% | 426,300 (down 0.2%) |
Sources: BLS Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment, July 2026 preliminary, not seasonally adjusted (metro rates); BLS Economy at a Glance, Atlanta, Savannah and Georgia, July 2026 preliminary (payroll and manufacturing jobs); Georgia Department of Labor, August 20, 2026 (state rate). Metro rates are not seasonally adjusted, the state rate is.
What employers in Georgia pay, BLS medians.
Market benchmarks, not C3 pay rates. Hourly, statewide, the ten occupations our clients hire most, with the U.S. median for comparison. Georgia runs below the national median on most production roles and above it on aircraft assembly.
| Occupation (SOC) | 10th | Median | 90th | Annual median | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team assemblers (51 2092) | $14.59 | $18.42 | $24.44 | $38,310 | $21.47 |
| Laborers and material movers (53 7062) | $14.47 | $18.50 | $24.41 | $38,480 | $19.35 |
| Forklift operators (53 7051) | $17.64 | $20.78 | $28.78 | $43,210 | $22.32 |
| Inspectors and testers (51 9061) | $16.28 | $22.18 | $34.35 | $46,130 | $23.35 |
| Welders and cutters (51 4121) | $18.29 | $23.28 | $31.33 | $48,430 | $25.84 |
| Machinists (51 4041) | $17.82 | $25.29 | $37.22 | $52,610 | $28.24 |
| Electricians (47 2111) | $17.88 | $28.04 | $40.39 | $58,320 | $30.38 |
| Industrial machinery mechanics (49 9041) | $21.51 | $29.39 | $40.33 | $61,130 | $31.02 |
| Aircraft structure and systems assemblers (51 2011) | $22.74 | $34.88 | $45.79 | $72,550 | $65,380 annual |
| Aircraft mechanics and service technicians (49 3011) | $22.71 | $36.36 | $64.06 | $75,640 | $38.40 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Georgia statewide, via O*NET OnLine, accessed September 2026. Industrial machinery mechanics earn a $35.48 median in Warner Robins versus $28.48 in nonmetro South Georgia. Market benchmarks, not C3 pay rates.
Employer compliance in Georgia.
The items that set your cost per hour and your paperwork in Georgia. A starting point, not legal advice.
| Item | Georgia rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum wage | State minimum $5.15 for employers with six or more employees; employers covered by the FLSA pay the federal $7.25. No state increase scheduled for 2027. | U.S. DOL state minimum wage table, July 1, 2026 |
| Local wage ordinances | Preempted. Georgia bars local governments from setting their own minimum wage (O.C.G.A. 34 4 3.1). | Georgia Code |
| UI taxable wage base | $9,500 per employee, unchanged for years. | Georgia Department of Labor employer tax pages; confirm on the Employer Portal |
| UI new employer rate | 2.64 percent plus a 0.06 percent administrative assessment, 2.70 percent total, until experience rated. | Georgia Department of Labor; verify on the annual rate notice |
| E Verify | Public employers and public contractors must use it (O.C.G.A. 13 10 91). Private employers with 11 or more employees must attest to E Verify use to obtain or renew a business license or occupational tax certificate (O.C.G.A. 36 60 6). Staffing firms are covered by headcount. | Georgia Code; verify wording before quoting |
| Workers compensation | Private market, no state fund. Required at three or more regular employees. Self insurance allowed with Board approval, $250,000 minimum security and excess insurance. The staffing firm carries coverage for its temporary employees; the client is generally a statutory employer with the exclusive remedy defense. | State Board of Workers' Compensation FAQ |
| Right to work | Yes (O.C.G.A. 34 6 21). | Georgia Code |
| Staffing licensing | No state license for temporary staffing firms. Professional employer organizations register; temporary help firms are excluded. | Georgia Code |
| Pay transparency | No statewide salary range disclosure law and no salary history ban for private employers. | Research finding, September 2026 |
| Heat illness | No state heat standard. The federal OSHA general duty clause applies; the status of the proposed federal heat rule was unverified as of September 2026. | OSHA |
Compliance facts current as of September 13, 2026. The UI wage base and new employer rate could not be re verified on a Georgia DOL page during research; confirm on the Employer Portal. Verify with the agency before relying on any item for a specific decision.
First, E Verify. Georgia's attestation rule (O.C.G.A. 36 60 6) reaches private employers with 11 or more employees, so both you and your staffing firm are almost certainly covered, and the staffing firm, as employer of record, runs the check on the people it sends you. Second, workers compensation. The State Board of Workers' Compensation says the staffing firm carries coverage for its temporary employees and the client is generally a statutory employer with the exclusive remedy defense. What does not move: OSHA treats the host employer and the staffing agency as joint employers for worker safety, and joint employer doctrines under Title VII, the ADA, the FLSA and the NLRA can still reach a client. We say so because a careful buyer will ask.
Sources: O.C.G.A. 36 60 6; Georgia State Board of Workers' Compensation, workers compensation insurance FAQ; OSHA Temporary Worker Initiative.
Georgia headlines, summer 2026.
Eight dated items from our research feed, newest first.
Data center build out is a stress test for Georgia construction firms.
Electricians, pipefitters and equipment operators are being pulled into data center work, tightening trades supply for plants and warehouses. Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Georgia records $35.2 billion in announced business investment, a state fiscal year record.
A record pipeline means multi year hiring ramps even while current payrolls are flat. WRDW, citing the Georgia Department of Economic Development.
Georgia ports support 605,616 jobs and $181 billion in annual sales, 12 percent of state employment.
One in eight Georgia jobs is port linked; logistics staffing demand tracks port volume. Georgia Ports Authority, UGA Selig Center study.
RNDC shuts down its Georgia operations after bankruptcy, 558 workers.
Experienced warehouse and delivery workers enter the Atlanta labor pool this fall. CBS News.
Walmart to bring 1,000 jobs and a next generation fulfillment center to Carnesville.
The largest single logistics hiring announcement of the summer in northeast Georgia, on the I 85 corridor. Georgia Department of Economic Development.
Georgia sets new records for labor force and employment in July; unemployment holds at 3.3 percent.
Record labor force with payroll jobs down 15,700 over the year: supply is growing faster than employer demand. Georgia Department of Labor.
Siemens announces a $185 million power equipment plant with 1,400 jobs in Pendergrass.
The largest manufacturing jobs number announced in Georgia this summer: electrical assembly and test roles in Jackson County. Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Robins Air Force Base launches a drive to fill 600 civilian jobs.
Federal aircraft maintenance hiring competes directly with private aerospace employers for mechanics and sheet metal workers in Middle Georgia. 13WMAZ.
Questions we get about Georgia.
What is Georgia's unemployment rate right now?
3.3 percent in July 2026, seasonally adjusted, unchanged from July 2025 and 0.8 points below the U.S. rate of 4.1 percent (Georgia Department of Labor, August 20, 2026). The labor force reached an all time high of 5,480,790. August data are scheduled for release the week of September 18, 2026.
Is Georgia manufacturing hiring in 2026?
Flat statewide, growing on the coast. Manufacturing employment was 426,300 in July 2026, down 0.2 percent over the year, with durable goods up 2,900. Savannah metro manufacturing rose 2.4 percent as the Hyundai Metaplant added a third model and the HL GA battery plant began deliveries. Announced projects include Siemens in Pendergrass (1,400 jobs), Unified Legacy in Macon (500) and Georgia Transformer in Rincon (400). SK Battery America cut 958 jobs in Commerce in March 2026.
Does Georgia require E Verify for private employers?
Yes, by headcount. Under O.C.G.A. 36 60 6, private employers with 11 or more employees must attest to E Verify use to obtain or renew a business license or occupational tax certificate. Public employers and public contractors must use E Verify under O.C.G.A. 13 10 91. Staffing firms are covered as private employers by headcount. Verify the statute wording before relying on it.
What is Georgia's minimum wage in 2026?
The federal $7.25 governs for employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act; Georgia's own minimum is $5.15 for employers with six or more employees, and no state increase is scheduled for 2027. Georgia preempts local minimum wage ordinances. Market rates sit far above the floor: the BLS median for laborers and material movers in Georgia was $18.50 an hour in May 2025.
Who carries workers compensation on a temporary employee in Georgia?
The staffing firm carries the coverage for its temporary employees. Georgia is a private insurance market with no state fund, and any employer who regularly employs three or more people must carry coverage. The client is generally a statutory employer with the exclusive remedy defense, per the State Board of Workers' Compensation. OSHA still treats the host employer and the staffing agency as joint employers for safety.
How tight is the Savannah labor market?
Savannah metro unemployment was 2.7 percent in July 2026, the lowest of any metro in our research, with manufacturing employment up 2.4 percent over the year. The Port of Savannah moved 503,739 TEUs in July, up 5.7 percent. As the HL GA battery plant moves from construction to production, demand shifts from trades to production operators and quality technicians.
Where does C3 Workforce staff in Georgia?
Our recruiters and sales team cover Georgia from the C3 Workforce headquarters in Livonia, Michigan: metro Atlanta along I 85 and I 75, Savannah and the coast along I 16, Middle Georgia and Columbus. C3 is active in multiple markets across the country and does business in all 50 states. Call (734) 552-5731 or email info@c3workforce.com.
Atlanta to Savannah, and every exit on I 16.
Our recruiters and sales team cover Georgia from the Livonia headquarters: metro Atlanta, the I 85 corridor, Savannah and the coast, Middle Georgia and Columbus. Tell us the role, the shift and the zip code. Quotes go out within 24 hours and every message gets a reply within one business day.
(734) 552-5731
info@c3workforce.com
Aerospace assembly and maintenance, automotive Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers, electrical equipment, distribution centers and food plants. The same screening and accountability as every other C3 market, with a national team behind it.
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