Unemployment rates, while significantly lower than the alarming pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, remain a subject of concern, notably as economic experts bandy around the idea of a potential recession by 2023. The last economic recession—the Great Recession of 2008-2010—sent rates up to 10% as of October 2009. It was not until the spring of 2019 that unemployment finally went down to the same level it sits at now.
As of October of this year, national unemployment is at 3.7%, 0.2% higher than in September. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2.0% in Minnesota, to 4.5% in Illinois and 4.7% in the District of Columbia. Further breakdown by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows yet another county-based spectrum within each state.
To that end, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rate in Georgia using data from the BLS. Counties are ranked by unemployment rate in September 2022.
JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD // Wikimedia Commons
1 / 50#50. Lincoln County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 3,507 (113 unemployed)
Michael Rivera // Wikimedia Commons
2 / 50#49. Seminole County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: 0.0%
- Total labor force: 2,962 (96 unemployed)
#48. Towns County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 4,273 (137 unemployed)
Bubba73 (Jud McCranie) // Wikimedia Commons
4 / 50#47. Appling County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: +0.1%
- Total labor force: 8,890 (292 unemployed)
Blastoids // Wikimedia Commons
5 / 50#46. Jefferson County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 6,966 (228 unemployed)
Michael Rivera // Wikimedia Commons
6 / 50#45. Montgomery County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -0.1%
- Total labor force: 3,724 (124 unemployed)
Thomson200 // Wikimedia Commons
7 / 50#44. Murray County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 15,309 (499 unemployed)
Michael Rivera // Wikimedia Commons
8 / 50#43. Baker County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.4%
--- 1 month change: -1.0%
--- 1 year change: -1.4%
- Total labor force: 1,119 (38 unemployed)
Michael Rivera // Wikimedia Commons
9 / 50#42. Irwin County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 3,527 (119 unemployed)
Michael Rivera // Wikimedia Commons
10 / 50#41. Laurens County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 19,183 (643 unemployed)
SaveRivers // Wikimedia Commons
11 / 50#40. Meriwether County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.4%
--- 1 month change: -1.0%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 9,053 (305 unemployed)
Bubba73 (Jud McCranie) // Wikimedia Commons
12 / 50#39. Peach County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 11,914 (401 unemployed)
Michael Rivera // Wikimedia Commons
13 / 50#38. Toombs County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 11,739 (395 unemployed)
Stephen Matthew Milligan // Wikimedia Commons
14 / 50#37. Baldwin County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 17,736 (622 unemployed)
Robbie Honerkamp // Wikimedia Commons
15 / 50#36. Early County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 4,203 (149 unemployed)
#35. Warren County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 2,629 (91 unemployed)
#34. Mitchell County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.6%
--- 1 month change: -1.9%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 7,979 (284 unemployed)
Robbie Honerkamp // Wikimedia Commons
18 / 50#33. Stewart County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.6%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: +0.1%
- Total labor force: 2,566 (92 unemployed)
Michael Rivera // Wikimedia Commons
19 / 50#32. Wilcox County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.6%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: 0.0%
- Total labor force: 2,701 (96 unemployed)
#31. Wilkes County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.6%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 3,652 (133 unemployed)
JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD // Wikimedia Commons
21 / 50#30. Bleckley County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 4,587 (170 unemployed)
Brian Stansberry // Wikimedia Commons
22 / 50#29. Chattooga County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 9,229 (346 unemployed)
Jud McCranie // Wikimedia Commons
23 / 50#28. Emanuel County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 8,572 (318 unemployed)
Mbclark2 // Wikimedia Commons
24 / 50#27. Macon County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 4,524 (169 unemployed)
JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD // Wikimedia Commons
25 / 50#26. Treutlen County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: +0.3%
- Total labor force: 2,560 (94 unemployed)
Michael Rivera // Wikimedia Commons
26 / 50#25. Turner County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.7%
--- 1 month change: -1.2%
--- 1 year change: -1.7%
- Total labor force: 3,211 (120 unemployed)
#24. Washington County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 6,541 (239 unemployed)
Michael Rivera // Wikimedia Commons
28 / 50#23. Ben Hill County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 5,479 (208 unemployed)
Blastoids // Wikimedia Commons
29 / 50#22. Jenkins County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.2%
- Total labor force: 3,145 (119 unemployed)
Garydunncolumbusgausa // Wikimedia Commons
30 / 50#21. Muscogee County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 75,843 (2,855 unemployed)
#20. Screven County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -1.2%
- Total labor force: 4,962 (190 unemployed)
#19. Sumter County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.9%
- Total labor force: 11,995 (453 unemployed)
Rivers Langley; SaveRivers // Wikimedia Commons
33 / 50#18. Taylor County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.8%
--- 1 month change: -1.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 2,846 (109 unemployed)
Rivers Langley; SaveRivers // Wikimedia Commons
34 / 50#17. Chattahoochee County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -0.2%
- Total labor force: 1,907 (75 unemployed)
Thomson200 // Wikimedia Commons
35 / 50#16. Clayton County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -1.7%
- Total labor force: 141,562 (5,486 unemployed)
Michael Rivera // Wikimedia Commons
36 / 50#15. Dooly County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.9%
--- 1 month change: -1.0%
--- 1 year change: -1.6%
- Total labor force: 4,642 (180 unemployed)
Upstateherd // Wikimedia Commons
37 / 50#14. McDuffie County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 8,374 (323 unemployed)
Rivers Langley; SaveRivers // Wikimedia Commons
38 / 50#13. Randolph County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 2,338 (91 unemployed)
#12. Taliaferro County
- Current unemployment rate: 3.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.2%
- Total labor force: 534 (21 unemployed)
Kevin Ruck // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Richmond County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 82,588 (3,263 unemployed)
Ireana Medlin // Wikimedia Commons
41 / 50#10. Dougherty County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.9%
--- 1 year change: -1.1%
- Total labor force: 36,870 (1,499 unemployed)
#9. Twiggs County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.1%
- Total labor force: 2,794 (116 unemployed)
Michael Rivera // Wikimedia Commons
43 / 50#8. Terrell County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 3,527 (155 unemployed)
Bubba73 // Wikimedia Commons
44 / 50#7. Wheeler County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.6%
--- 1 month change: -1.0%
--- 1 year change: -0.2%
- Total labor force: 1,614 (75 unemployed)
csmith/dbb1 // Wikimedia Commons
45 / 50#6. Hancock County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 2,508 (117 unemployed)
Stephen Matthew Milligan // Wikimedia Commons
46 / 50#5. Burke County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 8,984 (429 unemployed)
Michael Rivera // Wikimedia Commons
47 / 50#4. Crisp County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -2.0%
- Total labor force: 9,295 (443 unemployed)
Rivers Langley; SaveRivers // Wikimedia Commons
48 / 50#3. Quitman County
- Current unemployment rate: 4.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: +0.2%
- Total labor force: 745 (36 unemployed)
JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD // Wikimedia Commons
49 / 50#2. Telfair County
- Current unemployment rate: 5.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 3,562 (203 unemployed)
Robbie Honerkamp // Wikimedia Commons
50 / 50#1. Clay County
- Current unemployment rate: 7.1%
--- 1 month change: -1.2%
--- 1 year change: -2.6%
- Total labor force: 847 (60 unemployed)
