august 2007 county unemployment rates

Tennessee's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for August 2007, released last week, decreased from the July rate of 4.1 percent to 4.0 percent, a decrease of 0.1 percent.  The United States rate was 4.6 percent for August, and remained unchanged from July.

County non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rates for August 2007, released today, show that 13 counties remained unchanged.  There were 17 counties that increased and 65 counties decreased. 

Knox , Lincoln and Sevier counties registered the state's lowest county unemployment rate at 3.1 percent.  Maury County had the state's highest at 8.5 percent, followed by Marshall County at 7.7 percent.

Knoxville had the state's lowest major metropolitan statistical area (MSA) rate at 3.2 percent, which increased from 3.1 percent in July, an increase of 0.1 percent. The Nashville-Murfreesboro MSA was 3.5 percent, up from 3.4 in July.  The Chattanooga MSA was 3.6 percent, down from 3.8 percent; and the Memphis MSA was 4.6 percent, down from 4.8 percent.