Unemployment Rates Fall in Two-Thirds of Tennessee Counties, While Some Still Struggle

The most recent unemployment statistics were released this week, providing Tennessee residents with some comparatively positive economic news. According to the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD), two-thirds of the state’s counties saw a decrease in unemployment rates in October. The data showed that unemployment rates decreased in 63 of Tennessee’s 95 counties from September. In the meantime, unemployment rates grew in 17 counties and were unchanged in 15.

According to the TDLWD study, the jobless rate is below 5% in all but six counties. It’s a good trend that makes it clear that most of Tennessee’s job market is expanding. Sevier, Moore, and Williamson counties, each with an October unemployment rate of only 2.6%, topped the list of counties with the lowest unemployment rates in the state. This is a minor decline for Sevier County from 2.7% in September, while Moore had a corresponding one-tenth of a percentage point decline. A somewhat more notable two-tenths of a percentage point decline was seen in Williamson County.

But not all of the news was good. At 6%, two percentage points more than September, Weakley County, located in the northwest part of the state, earned the unwanted distinction of having the highest unemployment rate in October. Lake and Unicoi counties, both struggling with 5.6% unemployment rates, followed closely after. According to the TDLWD’s statistics, these rises highlight the fact that the state’s economic recovery is still unequal, with certain communities suffering more severely than others.

From 3.2% in September to 3.3% in October, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased somewhat. This is still much below the national average of 4.1%, even though it was marginally higher than the previous month. Additionally, the TDLWD cautions us that county unemployment rates do not account for seasonal swings, which might impact employment numbers, unlike the state rate.

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