Highest unemployment in Georiga, a look at Jenkins County and its people

Millen, Georgia in the eastern part of the state, is the county seat of Jenkins County. And Jenkins County recently received notice, but for all the wrong reasons. According to the state department of labor, it has an unemployment rate of 21.3 percent, the highest of any of Georgia’s 159 counties.

“Our county has about 8,800 people and the city (of Millen) probably about 3,300 people,“ says King Rocker. He’s a lifelong resident of Millen and has been the mayor for the past five years. He’s not sure he accepts the figures from the DOL but says there’s no questions many in the area are hurting. “We’ve lost at least 1,500 hundreds jobs in the past three years or so,“ he tells me.

Like many rural communities with the changing landscape of people who can no longer make a living in farming, most residents have had “city” jobs in factories and other businesses. “We have a good workforce and plants that were here have been profitable when the economy was good and they were selling their products,“ Rocker says. “But now we’ve had four plants close and one we do have left, has cut about 400 to 500 workers.“

He says most days, the economy is what is on everyone’s mind. “I see people and they ask me - what do you have going, what kind of jobs might be coming, that’s what they all want to know,“ he says.

Rocker says they are working with the Jenkins County Commission along with the state to try and court a new business to town. Jerry Henry, the chair of the Jenkins County Commission says “we’ve interviewed several people and had several people in in to look at our facilities and our industrial sites. But at this point, we haven’t landed anything.“

Henry says they have a lot of competition these days. “We’re suffering, I won’t say we’re desperate but we’re suffering,“ he tells me.

He does say many people are taking advantage of re-training opportunities being offered by the department of labor. At Cindy’s Cafe, I find F.A. Black who runs an agri-business supply store. “My business is down 50 percent. These are bad times in Jenkins County. I have people come by almost every day wanting jobs, wanting to know if I’m hiring and I’m not, I can’t,“ he says.

Black does say he thinks the hard times are bringing the community closer together. “ I really see that. We’re trying to help each other,“ he tells me.

And long time resident bobby Dwelle, whose family has been around since 1835, says things “will come back. I know they will, we have nowhere to go but up now.“

Dwelle was instrumental in starting the first economic development authority in Jenkins County. That was back in the 60’s. “We will be all right,“ he says. “They’re working to help people find jobs.“

Mayor Rocker says ironically, a few years ago they had people driving into Jenkins County to work, that’s how many jobs there were available. Now, people are driving out of the area to try and find work.

Rocker is hopeful that those who know and love the area will continue to work to make it successful again. “You know we’re just waiting on that call that says someone is interested in locating here,“ he tells me. “We have a great community.“