Milton's jobless rate was 2.9% in September, up from 2.7% a year earlier, though 389 more residents had jobs. Fulton County was 3.6% and Georgia 3.5%.
Milton’s unemployment rate was 2.9% in September, up from 2.7% in September 2025. The rise came even as 389 more city residents had jobs than a year earlier. The labor force grew faster, so 59 more people were out of work and looking.
The figures are the preliminary September estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Local Area Unemployment Statistics program. The BLS publishes a separate rate for Milton, not only for Fulton County. The figures are not seasonally adjusted, so the fair comparison is with the same month a year earlier.
Milton against its neighbors
| Area | September 2026 | September 2025 | August 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sandy Springs | 2.6% | 2.5% | 2.7% |
| Milton | 2.9% | 2.7% | 2.6% |
| Alpharetta | 2.9% | 2.9% | 2.8% |
| Roswell | 3.0% | 2.7% | 2.9% |
| Johns Creek | 3.3% | 3.1% | 3.2% |
| Georgia | 3.5% | 3.4% | 3.4% |
| Fulton County | 3.6% | 3.6% | 3.5% |
| United States | 4.0% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
All rates are not seasonally adjusted. Sources: BLS series for Milton, Sandy Springs, Alpharetta, Roswell, Johns Creek, Georgia, Fulton County and the United States.
Milton’s rate was below the county, state and national rates. Alpharetta, about six miles southeast, matched it at 2.9%. Sandy Springs, about 15 miles south, was lower at 2.6%. Roswell, about eight miles south, was 3.0%, and Johns Creek, about 10 miles southeast, was 3.3%.
Milton’s rate rose 0.2 points from a year earlier, the same as Johns Creek. Roswell rose 0.3 points. Alpharetta and Fulton County were unchanged, and the national rate fell 0.3 points.
The numbers behind the rate
In Milton in September, according to the BLS:
- 23,149 people were in the labor force, up from 22,701 a year earlier.
- 22,487 people had jobs, up from 22,098.
- 662 people were unemployed, up from 603.
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. These are counts of Milton residents, wherever they work, not counts of jobs located in the city.
The past year, month by month
Milton’s rate moved between 2.2% and 2.9% over the year. It was lowest in April. September matched June as the highest month.
| Month | Milton rate |
|---|---|
| September 2025 | 2.7% |
| October 2025 | not published |
| November 2025 | 2.8% |
| December 2025 | 2.5% |
| January 2026 | 2.7% |
| February 2026 | 2.8% |
| March 2026 | 2.6% |
| April 2026 | 2.2% |
| May 2026 | 2.6% |
| June 2026 | 2.9% |
| July 2026 | 2.6% |
| August 2026 | 2.6% |
| September 2026 | 2.9% (preliminary) |
Because the figures are not seasonally adjusted, a change from one month to the next can reflect the season, not a shift in the job market. In August 2026, for example, the rate was 2.6%, down from 2.9% in August 2025.
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
- Milton’s job market is still one of the tightest in the area. Fewer than three in every 100 residents in the labor force were out of work and looking in September.
- The September numbers will change. The BLS marks the latest month as preliminary and revises it the following month.
- If you are looking for work, the Georgia Department of Labor’s EmployGeorgia job board lists openings in and around Milton.
- October’s figures for the city come in the next BLS monthly release. We will update this story when they are out.
- For more on the local economy, see our story on Milton home values and the weekly real estate transfers.
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