Tennessee's Unemployment Rate for April Decreased to 6.0%

LOWEST STATE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN SEVEN YEARS

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Labor & Workforce Development Commissioner Burns Phillips announced today the Tennessee preliminary unemployment rate for April was 6.0 percent, three-tenths of one percentage point lower than the March revised rate of 6.3 percent. The U.S. preliminary rate for April was 5.4 percent, one-tenth of one percentage point lower than the prior month.

Economic Summary

• Tennessee's April unemployment rate is the third consecutive monthly decline and is the lowest rate in seven years.
   
• Over the past year, Tennessee's unemployment rate decreased from 6.5 percent to 6.0 percent, while the national rate declined from 6.2 percent to 5.4 percent.
   
• Total nonfarm employment increased 6,400 jobs from March to April. The largest increases occurred in accommodation/food services, administrative/support/waste services, mining/logging/construction, and finance/insurance.
   
• Over the year, nonfarm employment increased 47,000 jobs. The largest increases occurred in trade/transportation/utilities, professional/business services, and durable goods manufacturing.

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