According to numbers released on Thursday by the Georgia Department of Labor, first-time unemployment claims in Chattooga County dropped by 50% from February to March.  The numbers show 124 unemployment claims for March of 2023, which is down from by around half from February, but still higher than March of 2022.  Georgia’s March unemployment rate was 3.1%, unchanged from February. The unemployment rate has stayed at 3.1% for eight consecutive months.  County unemployment numbers will be released later this month by the Georgia Department of Labor.