New labor data released on Thursday by the Georgia Department of Labor shows Chattooga County continues to see a higher share of workers filing unemployment claims compared to neighboring counties, as overall unemployment remains steady heading into the spring.

According to the latest figures, Chattooga County recorded 46 initial unemployment claims over the past four weeks, with a labor force of 8,877. That means about 0.5 percent of the workforce — or roughly 5 out of every 1,000 workers — filed for unemployment during that period.

At the same time, Chattooga County’s overall unemployment rate for March is holding around 4 percent, higher than surrounding counties but still in line with recent trends across Northwest Georgia.

Walker County reported 80 claims, but with a larger workforce, only about 0.2 percent of its workers filed claims. Its unemployment rate is around 3.1 percent.

Floyd County saw 396 claims over the same period, with about 0.8 percent of its workforce filing for unemployment — the highest share in the region. Floyd’s unemployment rate stands at approximately 3.3 percent.

While Chattooga’s total number of claims is lower than Floyd’s, its smaller workforce means changes in employment can have a bigger local impact.

Overall, unemployment across Northwest Georgia remains relatively low, with officials pointing to stable job conditions as the region moves further into 2026.