The share of economically active people in Georgia fell from 63.7% in 2014 to 55.6% in 2024, while the employment rate dropped from 53.4% to 48.3%, the Social Justice Center said after analyzing the results of the 2024 population census.
The National Statistics Office identified 3,158,758 people aged 15 and over in the 2024 census. The economically active population includes employed people and unemployed people who were actively looking for work during the previous four weeks and were ready to start working within two weeks.
The share of unemployed people also declined, from 16.1% in 2014 to 13% in 2024. At the same time, the share of economically inactive people increased.
The Social Justice Center said the employment figures should also be considered in light of the census methodology. A person is considered employed if they worked for at least one hour during the previous week for pay or profit. This means the 48.3% employment rate also includes people who worked for only one or two hours and does not indicate the number of hours worked or whether employment conditions are adequate.
The data also show a gender gap in employment. The employment rate was 53.2% among men and 44.1% among women. The organization said women made up the remaining share of unemployed or economically inactive people.
The situation is more difficult in several municipalities. Employment rates range between 39% and 43% in 16 municipalities, while the unemployment rate exceeds 17% in 13 municipalities.
The Social Justice Center also compared Georgia’s employment figures with those of the European Union. The average employment rate among people aged 20–64 was 75.7% in the EU, compared with 59.6% in Georgia.
The organization said the figures point to the need for policies focused on employment and the population in order to bring Georgia closer to the EU average.
