Each June, Tennessee counties experience an increase in unemployment as schools close for summer break and lay off workers. Recent college graduates entering the workforce for the first time also impact the data each year. Once again this June, data from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development showed jobless rates increased in each of the state’s 95 counties.
While county rates increased in June, the statewide rate ticked down. This can occur because county unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted, while the state and national rates use the seasonal adjustment to eliminate outside influences, such as school closures, on the statistics.
In June, unemployment rates were less than 5 percent in 19 Tennessee counties.
Seventy-five counties had rates 5 percent or greater but less than 10 percent, and one county showed a rate higher than 10 percent.
Williamson County recorded the state’s lowest unemployment rate. At 3.4 percent, the county’s June rate increased 0.7 of a percentage point from the previous month.
Perry County’s rate jumped to 13 percent in June, a spike of 5.9 percentage points when compared to May’s rate.
The statewide unemployment rate for June decreased 0.1 of a percentage point to 4.9%. That is 4.4 percentage points lower than Tennessee’s rate in June 2020.
Nationally, unemployment increased slightly in June from 5.8 percent to 5.9 percent. This rate is down 5.2 percentage points when compared to June 2020.
TDLWD has produced a complete analysis of the county unemployment data, including the state’s larger cities, as well as the metro and micropolitan areas. That data can be accessed
here.
The state has valuable resources available to help unemployed Tennesseans become TN Work Ready and reenter the workforce. They can visit www.TNWorkReady.com to find online and in-person assistance with their job search.
TDLWD will release the statewide unemployment rate for July on Thursday, August 19 at 1:30 p.m. CDT.