August 2013 County Unemployment Rates

NASHVILLE – County unemployment rates for August 2013, released today, show the rate decreased in 77 counties, increased in nine, and remained the same in nine counties. Specific county information is available on the Internet; enter http://www.tn.gov/labor-wfd/labor_figures/LaborAUG2013.pdf.

Davidson County had the state’s lowest major metropolitan rate of 6.9 percent, up from 6.7 percent in July. Knox County’s August rate stayed at 7.0 percent. Hamilton County decreased to 8.2 percent from 8.5 the previous month. Shelby County was 9.7 percent, down from 9.8 percent in July.

Tennessee’s preliminary unemployment rate for August was 8.5 percent, which is unchanged from the July revised rate. The national unemployment rate for August 2013 was 7.3 percent, down 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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