Three Area Counties Return To Top Ten Highest Unemployment

By Shannon McFarlin WENK/WTPR News Director
NASHVILLE – Three of our area counties—Obion, Carroll and Benton—have returned to the Top 10 of counties with the highest unemployment rates in the state with the October statistics released by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
With Lauderdale ranking 95^th out of the state’s 95 counties, Obion Co. ranked 92, followed by Carroll Co. at 89^th and Benton at 87^th of the counties recording the highest unemployment.
Henry Co. normally has the lowest rate of unemployment among our area counties, but this time was replaced by Weakley Co., which held firm at 4.3 percent in October, showing no change since September.
Henry Co., however, increased unemployment from 4.3 percent to 4.7 percent.
Indeed, most of the counties in our area increased their unemployment rates, with Obion Co. increasing from 5.3 percent to 5.6 percent, Carroll Co. from 5.1 percent to 5.4 percent; Benton increasing from 5.0 to 5.1 percent. Stewart Co. stayed at 4.9 percent.
Statewide, unemployment rates dropped in 26 Tennessee counties and remained the same in 36 counties when compared to September statistics. Thirty-three counties across the state experienced an increase in unemployment during October.
Williamson County continued to have the state’s lowest unemployment rate at 2.7 percent, which was the same rate the previous month. Davidson County’s October rate remained unchanged at 2.9 percent. Rutherford County also recorded an unemployment rate of 2.9 percent in October, which mirrored its rate from September.