South Georgia town bucks national trends with falling unemployment in 2025

Although inflation and unemployment rose across the United States in 2025, a small town in south Georgia saw significant economic growth.

WALB 10 reports that Moultrie and Colquitt County saw its unemployment rate drop from 3.9% to 3.4%. Nationally, unemployment rose from 4.1% to 4.4% in 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Moultrie City Manager Peter Dillard told WALB that the growth is due to multiple new investments and collaborative efforts between local organizations.

“Our city-county organizations have done well. Our school system, our hospitals. I think we’re really seeing the fruits of our new hybrid Downtown Development Authority and Economic Development Authority,” he said.

Dillard said new industries and companies moved into the town, including EnergyTek, Hobby Lobby and Marshalls. Efforts to revitalize the downtown area have paid off, he said.

“I remember twenty years ago, you could ride through town on Saturday, and it was empty. It was like a ghost town. Today, you can barely find a parking place,” Dillard said.

Georgia’s overall unemployment rate also decreased in 2025 from 3.6% in January to 3.4% in September, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.