May 2013 County Unemployment Rates

NASHVILLE – County unemployment rates for May 2013, released today, show the rate increased in 82 counties, decreased in eight counties, and remained the same in five counties. Specific county information is available on the Internet; enter http://www.tn.gov/labor-wfd/labor_figures/LaborMay2013.pdf.

Davidson County had the state’s lowest major metropolitan rate of 6.7 percent, up from 6.5 percent in April. In May Knox County increased to 6.8 from 6.4 percent. Hamilton County was 8.2 percent, up from 7.6 percent in the previous month. Shelby County was 9.7 percent, up from 9.2 percent in April.

Tennessee’s unemployment rate for May was 8.3 percent, which increased three tenths of one percentage point from the April revised rate of 8.0 percent. The national unemployment rate for May 2013 was 7.6 percent, increasing by one tenth of one percentage point from the previous month.

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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