Chattooga County recorded an unemployment rate of 3.8 percent in the latest report from the Georgia Department of Labor, the highest rate among the nine Northwest Georgia counties included in the regional report.

The county’s rate was above Northwest Georgia’s overall unemployment rate of 3.4 percent, which increased four-tenths of a percentage point from the previous month. The regional rate was unchanged from the same period one year ago.

Nearby Floyd and Walker counties each reported unemployment rates of 3.0 percent. Gordon County had one of the region’s lowest rates at 2.8 percent, while Whitfield County reported 3.3 percent.

Despite the monthly increase in unemployment, Northwest Georgia’s labor force reached an all-time high of 460,744 workers. That was an increase of 882 workers from the previous month and 7,391 from one year earlier.

The number of employed residents across the region totaled 445,054. While that figure declined by 994 over the month, it remained 7,254 higher than a year ago.

Initial unemployment claims also increased during the month, rising by 619 to 1,808. However, claims remained slightly below the number filed during the same period last year.

The latest figures indicate that while Chattooga County’s unemployment rate remains higher than surrounding counties, Northwest Georgia continues to experience long-term workforce and employment growth.