According to numbers released on Thursday from the Georgia Department of Labor, first time jobless claims were up significantly in Chattooga County for the month of April.  There were 317 first time unemployment claims filed last month – an increase from March of this year and higher than April of 2022.  Statewide, Georgia’s April unemployment rate was 3.1%, unchanged from a revised 3.1% in March. The unemployment rate held at 3.1% for nine consecutive months.  County unemployment percentages will be released later this month.