County unemployment rates for July 2013, released Thursday, show the rate decreased in 79 counties, increased in 12, and remained the same in four counties. Specific county information is available on the Internet; enter http://www.tn.gov/labor-wfd/labor_figures/LaborJULY2013.pdf.
Davidson County had the state’s lowest major metropolitan rate of 6.7 percent, down from 7.0 percent in June.
Knox County’s July rate decreased to 7.0 from 7.3 percent. Hamilton County decreased to 8.6 percent from 8.8 the previous month. Shelby County was 9.8 percent, down from 10.3 percent in June.
Tennessee’s preliminary unemployment rate for July is 8.5 percent, which is unchanged from the June revised rate. The national unemployment rate for July 2013 was 7.4 percent, down two tenths of one percentage point from the previous month.
The state unemployment rate is seasonally adjusted while the county unemployment rates are not. Seasonal adjustment is a statistical technique that eliminates the influences of weather, holidays, the opening and closing of schools, and other recurring seasonal events from economic time series.