January 2017 County Unemployment Rates Rise Across the State

Thursday, March 09, 2017 | 01:30pm

NASHVILLE – County unemployment estimates for January 2017 show the rates increased in all 95 counties. Specific county information for January is available online at here.

For the month of January, Davidson County has the state’s lowest major metropolitan rate at 4.1 percent, increasing from 3.7 percent the previous month. Knox County is 4.7 percent, an increase from the previous month’s 4.2 percent. The Hamilton County rate is 5.5 percent, increasing from a previous rate of 4.8 percent. Shelby County has a 6.3 percent rate, increasing from December’s 5.6 percent.

Tennessee and the U.S. have experienced an increase in the preliminary unemployment rates for January. Tennessee’s rate is 5.4 percent, increasing from the previous month’s revised rate by three-tenths of a percentage point. An increase of one-tenth raised the U.S. preliminary rate to 4.8 percent.

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.

The Economic Analysis and Labor Force Estimates are prepared by the Employment Security division’s labor market information specialists. The division reports metrics and contextual information as it relates to employment, income, and population in Tennessee. Economical issues are narrated in monthly newsletters and additional resources are available on Jobs4TN.gov.

The state unemployment release for February 2017 will be published on Thursday, March 23, 2017 at 1:30 p.m. CT.

-###-

  Download News Release