March 2014 County Unemployment Rates

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE DECREASES IN 86 OF 95 COUNTIES

NASHVILLE – County unemployment rates for March 2014, released today, show the rate decreased in 86 counties, increased in four, and remained the same in five. Specific county information for March is available on the Internet; enter http://www.tn.gov/labor-wfd/labor_figures/March_Laborestimates.pdf.

Davidson County had the state’s lowest major metropolitan rate of 5.5 percent in March, down from 5.6 percent in February. Knox County’s March rate was 5.6 percent, down from 5.7. Hamilton County was 6.8 percent, down from 6.9. Shelby County was 8.4 percent, the same as for February. Tennessee’s unemployment rate for March was 6.7 percent, which is two-tenths of one percentage point lower than the February revised rate. The national unemployment rate for March 2014 was also 6.7 percent, the same as for February.

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.

- # # # -