Weakley County Has State’s Highest Unemployment Rate

NASHVILLE — Unemployment rates in two-thirds of Tennessee’s counties declined from the previous month, according to newly released data from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD).

In Carroll, the October unemployment rate was 4.3 percent, up from 4.2 one month earlier and equal to one year earlier. Of 11,744 in the labor force, 11,241 were employed and 503 were unemployed.

In Henry, the unemployment rate for October was 3.9 percent, up from 3.8 one month earlier and up from 3.6 one year earlier. From a labor force of 13,603, a total of 13,074 were employed and 529 were unemployed.

Weakley County had the state’s highest unemployment rate for the month at 6%. That rate was 2 percentage points over the county’s September rate of 4%. From a labor force of 15,240, there were 14,333 employed and 907 unemployed.

In 63 of the state’s 95 counties, unemployment rates for October were down when compared with September’s rates. Rates remained the same in 15 counties and increased in 17 counties.

All but six Tennessee counties recorded unemployment rates of less than 5% in October. Those six counties had rates that were greater than 5% but less than 10%.

Sevier, Moore, and Williamson counties once again reported the state’s lowest unemployment rates. All three had October rates of 2.6%.

Sevier County’s rate was one-tenth of a percentage point lower than in September. Moore County’s rate also was down one-tenth of a percentage point from the previous month. Williamson County’s rate was down two-tenths of a percentage point.

Unicoi and Lake counties had the next-highest unemployment rates for the month at 5.6% each. Unicoi’s rate was up 1.3 percentage points over the previous month, and Lake’s rate was up five-tenths of a percentage point.

Tennessee’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in October was 3.3%. The rate was up slightly over the previous month but eight-tenths of a percentage point below the national rate of 4.1%.

Unlike the statewide rate, county rates are not adjusted to account for seasonal impacts on employment, such as weather and school breaks.