Local Jobless Rate Drops Below 20%

Nashville, TN (2011-08-25) For the first time since November 2010, the local jobless rate is below 20 percent. Despite a 1 percent decline in joblessness, Scott County still has the highest rate in the State.

According to the latest statistics from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the unemployment rate in Scott County was 19.8 percent in July, a one-percent decrease over the month. Of the county’s labor force of 8,220, 6,590 were employed. 1,630 people in Scott County are looking for work. While the number of jobless decreased by 150 over the month, those eligible for unemployment benefits likewise declined by 300, meaning one-half of the reduction was achieved through reduction in the labor force.

The unemployment rate likewise decreased in all surrounding counties. Anderson County reported a 0.6 of a percentage point decline in joblessness, decreasing from 9.4 percent in June to 8.8 percent in July. In Campbell County, the July jobless rate was 11.7 percent, down from 12.6 percent. Fentress County experienced a minimal decrease in July, dipping from 11.8 to 11.7 percent over the month. Morgan County’s unemployment rate dropped 0.7 percentage point in July, down to 11.1. Pickett County’s jobless rate of 15.0 in June dropped to 14.8 percent in July, giving it the honor of having the second highest unemployment rate in the state.

Lincoln County registered the state's lowest county unemployment rate at 6.2 percent, down from the June rate of 6.7 percent, followed by Williamson County at 6.7 percent, down from 7.2 percent. Lauderdale County at 14.8 percent had the third highest rate in the state, following Scott and Pickett, respectively. Perry County was fourth with a July rate of 14.7 percent. Weakley County, which reported a July rate of 14.6 percent, was fifth. Counties rounding out the top ten were: Haywood and Hancock Counties, both reporting 14.5 percent; Marshall County, 14.2 percent, and Dyer and Gibson Counties, both 13.7 percent.

Knox County had the state’s lowest major metropolitan rate of 7.5 percent, down from 8.0 percent in June. Hamilton County was 8.4 percent, down from 9.2 percent the previous month. Davidson County was 8.5 percent, down from 9.1 percent in June, and Shelby County was 10.6 percent, down from the June unemployment rate of 11.1 percent.