Counties with the highest unemployment in Georgia
While today's unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.
Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Georgia using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in February 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.
Experts are mixed in their views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession.
The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.
But as of March 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.8%—down slightly from the previous month. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2% in North Dakota to 5.3% in California.
Read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Georgia.
#50. Dodge County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,221 people (258 unemployed)
#49. Elbert County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 8,420 people (307 unemployed)
#48. Baldwin County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,010 people (657 unemployed)
#47. Laurens County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 20,562 people (743 unemployed)
#46. Turner County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,265 people (122 unemployed)
#45. Irwin County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,531 people (131 unemployed)
#44. Peach County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,900 people (440 unemployed)
#43. Coffee County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,972 people (699 unemployed)
#42. Rockdale County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 46,533 people (1,707 unemployed)
#41. Newton County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 55,851 people (2,082 unemployed)
#40. Baker County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,068 people (41 unemployed)
#39. Wilkinson County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,419 people (131 unemployed)
#38. Dooly County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,347 people (166 unemployed)
#37. Berrien County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,748 people (297 unemployed)
#36. Mitchell County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 7,996 people (301 unemployed)
#35. Murray County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,772 people (606 unemployed)
#34. Bibb County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 65,098 people (2,460 unemployed)
#33. Clayton County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 143,765 people (5,504 unemployed)
#32. Treutlen County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,702 people (105 unemployed)
#31. Taylor County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,749 people (107 unemployed)
#30. Lanier County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,771 people (148 unemployed)
#29. Early County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,090 people (161 unemployed)
#28. Jeff Davis County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,184 people (241 unemployed)
#27. Emanuel County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,827 people (343 unemployed)
#26. Muscogee County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 76,216 people (2,958 unemployed)
#25. Warren County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,794 people (113 unemployed)
#24. Seminole County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,084 people (122 unemployed)
#23. Terrell County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,416 people (136 unemployed)
#22. Ben Hill County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,598 people (226 unemployed)
#21. Jefferson County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,815 people (270 unemployed)
#20. Randolph County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,329 people (96 unemployed)
#19. Towns County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,136 people (170 unemployed)
#18. Bleckley County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,962 people (203 unemployed)
#17. Dougherty County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 35,992 people (1,473 unemployed)
#16. Jenkins County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,424 people (143 unemployed)
#15. Chattahoochee County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,915 people (83 unemployed)
#14. Washington County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,200 people (312 unemployed)
#13. Sumter County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,185 people (526 unemployed)
#12. Macon County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,574 people (205 unemployed)
#11. Richmond County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 83,442 people (3,614 unemployed)
#10. Screven County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,885 people (223 unemployed)
#9. Twiggs County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,710 people (128 unemployed)
#8. McDuffie County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,483 people (395 unemployed)
#7. Burke County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,990 people (435 unemployed)
#6. Quitman County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 718 people (36 unemployed)
#5. Wheeler County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,687 people (86 unemployed)
#4. Taliaferro County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 573 people (30 unemployed)
#3. Hancock County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,528 people (143 unemployed)
#2. Clay County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 2.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 784 people (47 unemployed)
#1. Telfair County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,351 people (208 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
