Muscogee County's jobless rate was 4.2% in August, down from 4.4% a year earlier, with 1,627 more people working. It is still above Georgia's 3.4%.

Muscogee County’s unemployment rate was 4.2% in August, down from 4.4% a year earlier. About 3,491 people in the county were out of work and looking for a job. That is 127 fewer than in August 2025.

The figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Local Area Unemployment Statistics. The August number is preliminary and may be revised. Columbus and Muscogee County share one consolidated government, so the county figure is the city’s figure too.

More people working

The county’s labor force grew over the year, and so did the number of people with jobs:

August 2025 August 2026 Change
Labor force 81,856 83,356 +1,500
Employed 78,238 79,865 +1,627
Unemployed 3,618 3,491 -127
Unemployment rate 4.4% 4.2% -0.2 points

The rate did rise from 4% in July. These county figures are not seasonally adjusted, so they move with the school year and the seasons. Over the past year the rate ran from a low of 3.5% in April to a high of 4.7% in January. Comparing the same month a year apart is the fairer test.

Bar chart of the Muscogee County unemployment rate, not seasonally adjusted: 4.4% in August 2025, 4.2% in September, 4.4% in November, 4.0% in December, 4.7% in January 2026, 4.3% in February, 4.6% in March, 3.5% in April, 3.9% in May, 4.3% in June, 4.0% in July and 4.2% in August 2026. No October 2025 figure was published.
Muscogee County's monthly unemployment rate. The bureau published no figure for October 2025. Chart by Fountain City News
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There is no October 2025 figure. The bureau marks that month as unavailable “due to the 2025 lapse in appropriations,” the federal government shutdown.

How Columbus compares with Georgia

Georgia’s rate, on the same not seasonally adjusted basis, was 3.4% in August, down from 3.6% a year earlier. Muscogee County has run above the state all year. In August the gap was 0.8 points.

What it means for you

  • If you are looking for work, 1,627 more county residents had jobs in August than a year earlier, though the rate is still above the state’s.
  • If you are hiring, the labor pool is bigger than last year, with 1,500 more people working or looking for work.
  • If you follow the local economy, the September figure is due from the bureau later this fall. Home values are on our Columbus home prices page, which we refresh monthly.