According to the National Statistics Office of Georgia (GeoStat), Georgia’s unemployment rate decreased by 0.3 percentage points compared to the same period last year, reaching 14.4% in the first quarter of 2026.

The report from GeoStat indicates that labour force participation in the first quarter of 2026 declined by 1.4 percentage points year-on-year, standing at 53.4%. Meanwhile, the employment rate dropped by 1.0 percentage point to 45.7%.

In urban areas, the labour force participation rate fell by 2.4 percentage points, whereas in rural areas, it increased marginally by 0.1 percentage points. The employment rate in urban settlements decreased by 1.9 percentage points, while in rural settlements, it rose slightly by 0.1 percentage points, reaching 45.9% and 45.4%, respectively.

The proportion of employees in the total workforce decreased by 1.3 percentage points, reaching 67.5%, compared to the same period last year.

Additionally, the report notes that in the first quarter of 2026, the unemployment rate in urban settlements decreased by 0.3 percentage points, and in rural areas, by 0.2 percentage points.

Unemployment remains traditionally higher among men than women. In the first quarter of 2026, the rate increased by 0.5 percentage points for women, reaching 12.1%, while it decreased by 0.8 percentage points for men, down to 16.2%.

The labour force participation rate is also higher among men. In this period, it stood at 64.9% for men and 43.4% for women. Compared to the same quarter last year, participation declined by 1.6 percentage points for men and 1.1 percentage points for women.

According to GeoStat, the employment rate for women decreased by 1.2 percentage points to 45.4%, while for men it fell by 0.8 percentage points to 55.0%.