Employers in Georgia announced more than 1,200 layoffs in February, as federal officials reported a decrease of 92,000 jobs nationwide. So far in 2026, there have been 3,027 layoffs announced by more than two dozen different employers, including nearly 800 jobs at Home Depot. The decrease in jobs was attributed to strike activity in health care, which led to the rise of the federal unemployment rate to 4.4% from 4.3% in January. The losses were primarily caused by the information sector and federal employment.