Savannah's jobless rate was 3.2% in August, down from 3.5% a year earlier, as about 2,100 more people joined the labor force. Chatham County was 3.0%, Georgia 3.4%.

Savannah’s unemployment rate was 3.2% in August, down from 3.5% in August 2025. The city’s labor force grew by about 2,100 people over the year, while the number out of work fell by about 190.

The figures are the preliminary August estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Local Area Unemployment Statistics program. They are not seasonally adjusted, so the fair comparison is with the same month a year earlier.

August at a glance

Area August 2026 August 2025
City of Savannah 3.2% 3.5%
Chatham County 3.0% 3.2%
Georgia 3.4% 3.6%

All three rates are not seasonally adjusted. Sources: BLS series for the city, Chatham County and Georgia.

Savannah’s rate sits a little above the county’s. The county figure also takes in the cities around Savannah, such as Garden City, about five miles northwest, and Pooler, about seven miles northwest. Both the city and the county ran below the statewide rate.

The numbers behind the rate

In the city of Savannah, according to the BLS:

  • 77,212 people were in the labor force in August, up from 75,095 a year earlier.
  • 2,465 people were unemployed, down from 2,658.

In Chatham County:

  • 160,078 people were in the labor force, up from 155,513.
  • 4,784 people were unemployed, down from 5,018.

The labor force counts people who have a job or are looking for one. The unemployment rate is the share of the labor force without a job and looking for one.

The past year, month by month

Bar chart of Savannah's monthly unemployment rate, not seasonally adjusted: 3.5% in August 2025, 3.2% in September, 3.3% in November, 3.1% in December, 3.4% in January and February 2026, 3.1% in March, 2.6% in April, 2.9% in May, 3.3% in June, 3.0% in July and 3.2% in August. No October 2025 figure was published.
Savannah's unemployment rate by month. Chart by Savannah News Today; data U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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The rate moved between 2.6% and 3.5% over the year. It was lowest in April, at 2.6%, and highest in August 2025, at 3.5%. The monthly figures were:

Month Rate
August 2025 3.5%
September 2025 3.2%
October 2025 not published
November 2025 3.3%
December 2025 3.1%
January 2026 3.4%
February 2026 3.4%
March 2026 3.1%
April 2026 2.6%
May 2026 2.9%
June 2026 3.3%
July 2026 3.0%
August 2026 3.2% (preliminary)

There is no October 2025 figure. The BLS lists the month as “data unavailable due to the 2025 lapse in appropriations,” the federal government shutdown that fall.

What it means for you

  • If you are looking for work, the Georgia Department of Labor’s EmployGeorgia job board lists openings across Chatham County.
  • The August numbers will change. The BLS marks the latest month as preliminary and revises it the following month.
  • September’s figures for the city and county come in the next BLS monthly release. We will update this story when they are out.