Following a slight rise in the statewide unemployment rate in March, jobless statistics experienced minor increases in most of Tennessee’s 95 counties, according to newly released data from the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
In our area, Weakley County is showing the lowest rate, with 4.6 percent, followed by Henry and Stewart Counties at 5.6 percent; Carroll at 5.7; Obion County at 6.1 percent and Benton County at 6.3 percent.
Five counties across the state did experience lower unemployment for the month, while rates went up in 86 counties, and remained the same in four counties.
Thirty-two of Tennessee’s counties had a jobless rate of less than 5%. The remaining 63 counties recorded a rate of 5% or higher.
Williamson County’s jobless statistic of 3.3% was the lowest in the state. Its March rate was 0.3 of a percentage point higher than it was in February.
At 3.6%, Moore County posted the second-lowest rate in the state but that is a 0.1 of a percentage point increase from the previous month. Wilson County’s rate of 4% was the third lowest in March, which is an increase of 0.3 of a percentage point.
Unemployment in Lake County decreased by 0.1 of a percentage point to 8.9%, which is the state’s highest rate for the month.
Perry County’s rate of 7.5% was 0.2 of a percentage point higher than the previous month’s rate. Unemployment in Bledsoe county went up 0.5 of a percentage point to 7.4%.
Statewide, seasonally adjusted unemployment inched up 0.1 of a percentage point to 5% in March.
Nationally, unemployment dropped 0.2 of a percentage point to 6%.