U.S. June job numbers remain steady, Georgia jobs reach 5 million and counting

The latest national job numbers are out, and June has been steady, if not spectacular. The unemployment rate across the country fell by a tenth of a point in June to 4.2%. The unemployment rate was 4.3 % in May, according to data from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. That percentage may seem low, but it represents just over seven million Americans. 

The national unemployment rate for adult men is 3.9%, while the rate for women remains lower at 3.7%. Black unemployment has hovered below 7% this year, while white (3.6%), Asian (3.9%), and Hispanic (5.2%) unemployment rates remain lower. The fact that there are only 42 million Black Americans among the more than 340 million Americans in the country, according to census data, skews the Black unemployment rate much higher. 

Teenage unemployment is at 14.6%, and long-term unemployed people, those who have been unemployed for 27 weeks or more, are up to nearly 2 million people. That is up by 268,000 over the year. 

Throughout Metro Atlanta, “now hiring” signs can be seen at small businesses and large restaurant chains like Starbucks, Chipotle, and QT. The job numbers reflect people who are working in places like those more than they reflect the C-Suite and above-average earners, particularly outside of Metro Atlanta. 

The Georgia Department of Labor reports that there are now more than 5 million jobs in play. That is an all-time high for the state’s labor force, according to a recent release. Food service jobs remain the highest in number, while administrative, support services, transportation, and warehousing jobs are also abundant.  Health care and social assistance jobs saw the most gains over the past year. 

The average median household income in Georgia between 2020 and 2024 was just $77,353, according to the United States Census Bureau. 

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