For the first time in 17 years, Georgia’s unemployment rate fell below four percent, Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler tells WSB Radio.

The unemployment rate for July was 3.9 percent, down from 4.1 percent in June. The last time the unemployment rate hit 3.9 was July 2001.

“Georgia, like the nation, is in a period of continued economic growth,” the commissioner says. “We continue to set records in all the key metrics. This is a great time to live and work in Georgia.”

Other key metrics include the state’s total number of jobs, the number of people who got those jobs and the number of people Georgia is able to add to its workforce.

Georgia added another 5,300 jobs in July, allowing the state to hit a record 4.54 million jobs.

Construction alone saw gains of 18,300 jobs over the year, the largest increase in more than 19 years. Other fields, including education, health services, transportation, leisure and hospitality, saw gains of more than 10,000 jobs.

“These are really impressive numbers to see,” Butler says. “This makes a difference in the everyday lives of Georgians. Not only are businesses creating jobs, but men and women are getting hired at record levels.”