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TENNESSEE (June 25) — Record-high unemployment rates recorded in counties across Tennessee in April experienced sizable decreases as the state slowly reopened in May 2020, according to preliminary data released by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
All 95 of Tennessee’s counties had lower unemployment rates in May, compared to the number of individuals who did not work in April when many businesses closed to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
Even with marked improvement, 42 counties had unemployment rates greater than 5.0 percent, but less than 10 percent. Fifty-three counties, more than half of the counties in the state, had rates greater than 10 percent, but less than 20 percent.
After reporting the state’s second-lowest unemployment rate for April, Weakley County now has the lowest jobless rate in Tennessee. The county’s new rate of 7.0 percent for the month of May is 2.5 percentage points lower than it was in April. It was 6.3 percent lower than the national rate of 13.3 percent, and 4.3 percent less than the state average of 11.3 percent. Out of a total countywide labor force of 15,180 workers in Weakley County, 14,112 were employed and 1,068 were unemployed.
Sevier County continued to have the highest rate of unemployment in Tennessee. Still, the county’s new rate of 18.5 percent is a staggering drop of 10.6 percentage points from April’s record high of 29.1 percent.
The statewide unemployment statistic from May also decreased significantly. The new preliminary rate of 11.3 percent is down from the revised April rate of 15.5 percent.
Nationwide, unemployment decreased to 13.3 percent in May, down from the 14.7 percent rate recorded the month before.
In bordering counties, Gibson registered 9.0 percent unemployment for the month of May, which is 3.0 percent lower than the previous month’s rate.
At 7.7 percent, Obion County’s unemployment rate fell by 2.6 from April’s rate of 10.3 percent.