December Unemployment Rises in All Tennessee Counties

NASHVILLE – County unemployment estimates for December 2016 show the rates increased in all 95 counties. Specific county information for December is available online at http://tn.gov{filedir_28}Labor_Force_Estimates,_Dec_2016.pdf.  

For the month of December, Davidson County has the state’s lowest major metropolitan rate at 3.6 percent, increasing from 3.5 percent the previous month. Knox County is 4.1 percent, an increase from the previous month’s 3.9 percent. The Hamilton County rate is 4.8 percent, increasing from a previous rate of 4.6 percent. Shelby County has a 5.5 percent rate, increasing from November’s 5.3 percent.

The Tennessee and U.S. preliminary unemployment rates for December are 4.9 and 4.7 percent, respectively, increasing one-tenth of a percentage point from the previous month’s revised rate.

The state and national unemployment rates are seasonally adjusted, while the county unemployment rates are not. Seasonal adjustment is a statistical technique that eliminates the influences of weather, holidays, opening and closing of schools, and other recurring seasonal events from economic time series.

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