In the second quarter of 2026, Georgia's unemployment rate dropped by 0.5 percentage points compared to the same period last year, reaching 13.8%.
According to the National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat), the decline in the unemployment rate was primarily driven by increased employment in urban settlements and a reduction in the overall workforce size.
During this period, the labor force participation rate (the share of the labor force among the population aged 15 and older) decreased by 0.8 percentage points year-over-year to 53.3%. Meanwhile, the employment rate slipped by 0.4 percentage points to 46.0%.
Urban vs. Rural Settlement Dynamics
Urban Settlements: The unemployment rate decreased by 1.7 percentage points to 14.7%, while the employment rate rose by 0.2 percentage points to 46.7%.
Rural Settlements: The unemployment rate increased by 1.3 percentage points to 12.6%, alongside a 1.4 percentage point decline in the employment rate to 45.0%.
Gender Breakdown
Unemployment traditionally remained higher among men than among women:
Women: The unemployment rate fell by 0.9 percentage points to 11.3%. The employment rate decreased by 0.9 percentage points to 37.5%, and the labor force participation rate fell by 1.5 percentage points to 42.2%.
Men: The unemployment rate dropped by 0.2 percentage points to 15.7%. The employment rate rose by 0.2 percentage points to 55.9%, and the labor force participation rate reached 66.3% (+0.1 percentage points).
Employment Status
In Q2 2026, the share of hired employees relative to the total number of employed persons remained unchanged year-over-year at 69.0%, while self-employed individuals accounted for the remaining 31.0%.
