Tennessee county unemployment rates for May 2014, released Thursday, show the rate decreased in five counties, increased in 88, and remained the same in two. Specific county information for May is available on the Internet; enter http://www.tn.gov/labor-wfd/labor_figures/LaborMay2014.pdf.
Davidson County had the state’s lowest major metropolitan rate in May at 5.2 percent, up from 4.7 percent in April.
Knox County was 5.3 percent in May, also up from 4.7 in April. The Hamilton County May rate was 6.2 percent, up from 5.6 percent in April. Shelby County was 7.5 percent in May, up from 7.0 percent in April. The Tennessee unemployment rate for May was 6.4 percent, and the U.S. rate was 6.3 percent; both were 6.3 percent in April.
The state and national unemployment rates are 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.