Many counties across Tennessee experienced significant drops in unemployment in February after the end of seasonal employment impacted January’s numbers, according to new data from the Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD).
22 counties across the state saw rates decrease during the month, while unemployment held steady in 21 additional counties.
Rates did increase in the remaining 52 counties.
One of the most notable decreases was in Perry County. It had the highest unemployment rate in January at 9.8% but one month later, its rate dropped 4.7 percentage points to 5.1%.
Moore County recorded the lowest rate across the state for February at 2.5%, which was unchanged when compared to the previous month. Williamson County had Tennessee’s second-lowest rate at 2.6%, up 0.1 of a percentage point from its January rate.
Cocke County recorded the state’s highest unemployment rate for the month. At 6.5%, unemployment in the county was still down 0.5 of a percentage point from January’s rate of 7%. Bledsoe County’s rate was the second-highest at 5.9%, which mirrored its number from the month before.