As the Georgia General Assembly wrapped up its 2026 regular session last week, State Senator Chuck Hufstetler of Rome is pointing to early childhood literacy as one of the most important issues addressed by lawmakers.
A major industrial development in Northwest Georgia has now reached full capacity after securing a second international tenant.
Unemployment rates across Chattooga, Floyd, and Walker counties remained relatively stable in recent data, reflecting continued steady job conditions in Northwest Georgia heading into the spring.
Georgia’s net tax collections totaled $2.12 billion in February, a slight decrease of 0.1% compared to February of last year.
Even with that small monthly decline, the state remains ahead overall for the fiscal year. Through the first eight months of the budget year, Georgia has collected about $21.88 billion, an increase of 1.6% over the same period a year ago.
The biggest drop in February came from individual income tax collections, which fell 4.1%. Higher tax refunds were a major factor in that decline, even as withholding payments showed a slight increase.
At the same time, sales tax collections moved higher, providing one of the brighter spots in the report. Motor fuel tax revenues also increased from the same month last year.
Meanwhile, corporate income tax collections posted a sharp decline for the month. The state also reported smaller decreases in motor vehicle tag, title and fee collections.
Despite the mixed results in February, Georgia’s overall revenue picture remains positive for the year so far, with collections continuing to run ahead of last fiscal year’s pace.
New unemployment benefit filings in Georgia declined last week, a sign layoffs may be easing slightly statewide even as national claims moved higher. The U.S. Department of Labor reports Georgia initial claims fell to 3,979 for the week ending February 21, down from 4,293 the week before (a drop of 314).
Nationally, seasonally adjusted initial claims rose to 212,000, up 4,000 from the prior week, according to the same weekly report.
In the week’s state-by-state movement, Rhode Island posted the largest percentage jump (from 1,154 to 2,677, about +132%) while Michigan saw the biggest percentage drop (from 7,315 to 3,667, about -49.9%).
Construction on Pilgrim’s Pride’s new prepared foods plant in Walker County is expected to begin this fall, a major step forward in a $400 million development local and state leaders say could reshape the area’s economy and bring hundreds of jobs to Northwest Georgia.
Initial unemployment filings in Georgia increased last week compared with the week before, according to new figures released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Labor.
The state recorded 5,133 new jobless claims for the week ending February 7, up from 4,681 the prior week — a gain of 452 claims. Nationwide, initial unemployment claims fell to 227,000, down 5,000 from 232,000 the week before on a seasonally adjusted basis, signaling a modest improvement at the national level even as Georgia ticked upward.
Other states saw sharper swings. Virginia posted the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, rising 68.8%, while Missouri had the largest percentage drop, with new claims falling 43.5%.
Georgia’s net tax collections slipped slightly in January, with the state reporting $3.03 billion in net tax revenue for the month — down $18.1 million, or 0.6%, compared to January of last year. State officials framed the dip as a modest month-to-month decline, not a major shift in overall revenue performance.
The Georgia Chamber Foundation has released its 2026 Economic Competitiveness Redbook, offering a detailed snapshot of economic conditions, trends, and benchmarks across the state — including county-level research findings for Chattooga County.
The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) announced Thursday that Georgia’s unemployment rate for December 2025 was 3.6%, up slightly from a revised 3.5% in November. GDOL said Georgia’s rate remained 0.8 percentage point below the national unemployment rate, and matched the state’s rate from one year ago.