NASHVILLE –The unemployment rate in 57 Tennessee counties improved in July 2018, according to statistics released by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
In our area, however, four counties are on the Top Ten List of highest unemployment.
Weakley Co. tops the list with the highest rate of unemployment, at 7.6 percent, with Houston listed as No. 92 out of the state’s 95 counties, with 6.6 percent, Obion County is ranked 91 with 6.5 percent and Carroll County is 87 with 6.2 percent.
The unemployment rates in those counties took a big jump from June: In Weakley Co., unemployment jumped from 5 to 7.6 percent; Houston Co. jumped from 6.4 to 6.6 percent; Obion Co. 5.7 to 6.5 percent; and Carroll Co. jumped from 5.8 to 6.2 percent.
Seven of the state’s counties with the highest unemployment rate is located in West Tennessee, with the remaining three in East Tennessee.
The unemployment rate in the state remained the same in 19 counties when compared to June and the number of unemployed Tennesseans increased in 19 counties.
Elsewhere in our area, Henry Co. remains steady with the lowest percentage of unemployment at 4.8 percent.
Benton Co. is at 5.8 percent, compared with 5.6 percent in June and Stewart Co. is at 5.7 percent, compared with 5.8 percent in June.
“The summer months significantly impact the unemployment situation across the state,” said TDLWD Commissioner Burns Phillips. “People are not working seasonal jobs, they’re out of town and not able to work, or they’ve just graduated and are looking for work. There are many factors that play a role in summer unemployment figures.”
Sixty-two counties had unemployment rates below 5.0 percent in July, while 33 counties had a rate of 5.0 percent or greater.
Once again, Williamson County had the lowest unemployment rate in Tennessee. The county’s July rate of 2.9 percent was down 0.1 of a percentage point when compared to the previous month. The county’s unemployment rate was also 2.9 percent in July 2017.
Davidson County had the state’s second-lowest unemployment rate during July; it decreased by 0.1 of a percentage point and came in at 3.0 percent. The top ten counties with the lowest unemployment each had a rate of 3.5 percent on less.
Weakly County experienced a significant jump in unemployment in July. Its rate of 7.6 percent was a 2.6 percent increase compared to June. In a year-to-year comparison, the July 2018 figure was just 0.5 of a percentage point higher than it was in 2017.
Last month, Lauderdale County had the highest rate of unemployment in the state. During July the county experienced a slight decrease in its jobless rate; the figure dropped 0.1 percentage point to 6.9 percent.