The unemployment rate in 57 Tennessee counties improved in July 2018, according to statistics released today by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
The unemployment rate remained the same in 19 counties when compared to June and the number of unemployed Tennesseans increased in 19 counties.
“The summer months significantly impact the unemployment situation across the state,” said TDLWD Commissioner Burns Phillips. “People are not working seasonal jobs, they’re out of town and not able to work, or they’ve just graduated and are looking for work. There are many factors that play a role in summer unemployment figures.”
Sixty-two counties had unemployment rates below 5.0 percent in July, while 33 counties had a rate of 5.0 percent or greater.
Once again, Williamson County had the lowest unemployment rate in Tennessee. The county’s July rate of 2.9 percent was down 0.1 of a percentage point when compared to the previous month. The county’s unemployment rate was also 2.9 percent in July 2017.
Davidson County had the state’s second-lowest unemployment rate during July; it decreased by 0.1 of a percentage point and came in at 3.0 percent. The top ten counties with the lowest unemployment each had a rate of 3.5 percent on less.
Weakley County experienced a significant jump in unemployment during July. Its rate of 7.6 percent was a 2.6 percent increase compared to June. In a year-to-year comparison, the July 2018 figure was just 0.5 of a percentage point higher than it was in 2017.
Last month Lauderdale County had the highest rate of unemployment in the state. During July the county experienced a slight decrease in its jobless rate; the figure dropped 0.1 of a percentage point to 6.9 percent.
Eight of the top ten Tennessee counties with the lowest unemployment surround Davidson County, while Knox and Sevier Counties round out the list. Seven of the state’s counties with the highest unemployment rates are located in West Tennessee, with the remaining three in East Tennessee.
Tennessee had a seasonally adjusted statewide unemployment rate of 3.5 percent in July, which mirrored the rate from the past two months. Nationally, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate experienced a slight decrease, down 0.1 of a percentage point to 3.9 percent.
Tennesseans who are searching for employment will find a variety of valuable resources on the state’s workforce website.
A complete analysis of Tennessee’s county unemployment data for July 2018 is available here.
The state of Tennessee will release the August 2018 statewide unemployment rate on Thursday, Sept.
20 at 1:30 p.m. CT.