Barrow County’s unemployment rate hit 8.7 percent in December, up from 7.8 percent in November and nearly double the December 2007 rate of 4.5 percent.
Barrow’s rate was above that of the state’s rate of 7.8 percent in December.
Labor force estimates show that Barrow had 2,951 people unemployed in December. Barrow’s rate was among the highest in the Northeast Georgia area.