Nashville, Tenn.–Data released Thursday by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development showed that unemployment increased in the state’s 95 counties during June 2019.
In our area, sharp increases in unemployment were seen in several counties, most notably in Carroll County which is now at 6 percent, up from 4.6 percent in June, and Benton Counties, now at 5.6 percent, up from 3.9 percent.
Carroll County also is back on the state’s Top Ten list of counties with highest unemployment and is ranked 89.
Other local counties:
Henry Co. is now at 4.5 percent, up from 3.6 percent last month; Obion County now at 5.4 percent, up from 4.4 percent; Stewart County now at 5.3 percent, up from 4.2 last month; and Weakley now at 4.9 percent up from 3.4.
Statewide, Sixty-one counties have unemployment rates below 5 percent, while 34 counties now have unemployment rates at, or above, 5 percent.
With a rate of 3 percent, both Williamson and Davidson counties have the state’s lowest unemployment. The new figure represents a 0.8 of a percentage point increase for Williamson County and a 0.7 of a percentage point jump for Davidson County.
“No one likes to see unemployment increase in every county across the state,” said Commissioner Jeff McCord. “But the rates typically increase this time of year because we see a lot of seasonal unemployment during the summer months, mostly because school is not in session.”
Tennessee’s statewide unemployment rate also experienced an uptick in June. The current statistic is 3.4 percent, up 0.1 of a percentage point from the previous month. The state reached its all-time low unemployment rate of 3.2 percent in February and it remained at the level for three consecutive months.
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