Alpharetta and Milton both recorded a 2.6% unemployment rate in July, but the improvement came with a catch: fewer residents were actually working.

The Georgia Department of Labor's July estimates show Alpharetta's rate dropped from 3.0% in June to 2.6% in July. Milton's fell from 2.9% to 2.6%. Both cities came in well below the statewide rate of 3.3% and the Atlanta metro area's 3.2%.

The rates look strong, but the employment counts underneath moved in the opposite direction.

In Alpharetta, the count of employed residents fell by 95 from June to July, dropping from 36,192 to 36,097. Milton lost 59 employed residents over the same period, going from 22,407 to 22,348.

The unemployment rate still fell because each city's overall labor force shrank even faster. Alpharetta's labor force declined by 234 people, and Milton's by 123. When people leave the labor force entirely, they are no longer counted as unemployed. That arithmetic can push the rate down even when hiring hasn't picked up.

The pattern extended across north Atlanta. Roswell's rate fell to 2.7% with 130 fewer employed residents. Johns Creek dropped to 3.1% with 105 fewer. Forsyth County hit 2.6% with 345 fewer, as the North Atlanta Star reported Sept. 2.

The labor force estimates count residents age 16 and older, including self-employed workers. They measure where people live, not where jobs are located. That distinction matters in Alpharetta, where the city's Economic Development Department has cited roughly 107,000 jobs located within city limits, a separate figure.

Summer school breaks, retirements, moves and normal survey revisions can all shift monthly local estimates, the North Atlanta Star noted. Year-over-year, both cities remain in a similar range: Alpharetta posted 2.8% in July 2025, and Milton posted 2.7%.

Georgia's statewide July report showed a second consecutive monthly decline in payroll jobs alongside the 3.3% rate, according to the North Atlanta Star. No state or local officials have publicly commented on the July municipal figures.

The Georgia Department of Labor has not announced a release date for August local estimates.