Chattooga County has the dubious distinction of having the second highest unemployment numbers in the state according to data released today by the Georgia Department of Labor.

AM 1180 Chattooga County Radio spoke with the Commissioner of Labor’s press secretary who stated that Chattooga County’s unemployment has climbed to 18%.  That’s up from 13.7% in Februray.  Last year at this time Chattooga County’s Unemployment Rate was 14.3%.

Only Pickens County has a higher unemployment rate of 20.2%.  Pickens County is like Chattooga County in the fact that it has a population of under 25,000 people and lacks a major interstate.  Pickens County is located in North – central Georgia due east of Chattooga County.