Metro Valdosta Sees Employment and Job Gains as Unemployment Falls to 3.6%
Friday, May 8th, 2026
The Georgia Department of Labor announced Thursday that the four-county Valdosta Metropolitan Statistical Area recorded employment growth and an unemployment rate of 3.6%, down four-tenths of a percentage point over the month. A year ago, the rate was 3.8%.
“There's no better way to mark Economic Development Week than with measurable results,” said Georgia Labor Commissioner Bárbara Rivera Holmes. “With the state labor force and employment both reaching all-time highs and unemployment falling across all metro areas, more Georgians are securing good-paying jobs that support families, build the future, and strengthen the communities they call home.”
The labor force in Valdosta decreased by 20 over the month and ended March with 61,765. That number decreased by 19 from Ma
Valdosta finished March with 59,529
Valdosta ended March with 56,400 jobs, up by 100 over the month and down by 600 from March 2025.
In March, initial unemployment claims decreased by 42 from the previous month and by 57 from the same month a year ago, totaling 141.
