While the unemployment rate in Chattooga County is still higher than the national and state and even regional average, the good news is that it did drop in April.  According to statistics released by the Georgia Department of Labor Chattooga County’s unemployment rate dropped out of the double digits down to 9.4%.  That’s down from almost 15% in March.  Much of the unemployment rate in March was caused by the layoff of 250 employees at Mt. Vernon Mills in Trion.  Also, because of the drop in unemployment in the month of April, Chattooga County no longer has the highest unemployment rate in the state.  That distinction goes to Jenkins and Hancock counties.  Still, 1050 people that are seeking jobs are unemployed in Chattooga County and the county’s unemployment rate is around 4% higher than surrounding counties in Georgia. In the combined 5 county area of Gordon, Polk, Floyd, Bartow and Chattooga Counties over 9,500 people are out of work.