March 2012 County Unemployment Rates
Thursday, April 26, 2012 | 08:20am
Rate Decreases in 89 Counties, Increases in Five, and Remains
the Same in One
the Same in One
NASHVILLE – County non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rates for March 2012, released today, show the rate decreased in 89 counties, increased in five counties, and remained the same in one county. Specific county information is available on the Internet; enter http://www.tn.gov/labor-wfd/labor_figures/Labor Force Estimates Mar '12.pdf.
Tennessee’s unemployment rate for March fell to 7.9 percent, down from the February revised rate of 8.0 percent. The national unemployment rate for March 2012 was 8.2 percent, 0.1 percentage point lower than the February rate.
The state unemployment rate is seasonally adjusted while the county unemployment rates are not. Seasonal adjustment is a statistical technique that eliminates the influences of weather, holidays, the opening and closing of schools, and other recurring seasonal events from economic time series.
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Lowest County Unemployment Rates
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Highest County Unemployment Rates
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1. Williamson County
2. Knox County
3. Lincoln County
4. Washington County
5. Wilson County
6. Rutherford County
7. Davidson County
8. Loudon County
9. Sumner County
10. Blount County
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5.2
5.7
5.8
6.5
6.6
6.6
6.6
6.7
6.8
7.1
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95. Scott County
94. Obion County
93. Pickett County
92. Lauderdale County
91. Perry County
90. Cocke County
89. Marshall County
88. Weakley County
87. Haywood County
86. Jefferson County
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17.1
15.2
13.9
12.8
12.3
12.2
12.1
11.8
11.7
11.5
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Knox County had the state’s lowest major metropolitan rate of 5.7 percent, down from 6.1 percent in February. Davidson County was 6.6 percent, down from 7.0 percent in the previous month. Hamilton County was 7.4 percent, down from 7.6 percent, and Shelby County was 9.1 percent, down from the February unemployment rate of 9.2 percent.
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County Unemployment Rate Range
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February 2012
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March 2012
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Rate less than 5.0%
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0 counties
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0 counties
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Rate is 5.0% or greater, but less than 10.0%
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47 counties
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60 counties
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Rate is 10.0% or greater
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48 counties
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35 counties
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Rate is 20.0% or greater
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0 counties
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0 counties
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