january 2008 county unemployment rates

Tennessee's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for January 2008 was released last week at 4.9 percent, 0.1 percent lower than the revised December 2007 rate of 5.0 percent.  The United States unemployment rate for the month of January was also 4.9 percent.

County non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rates for January 2008, released today, show that 89 counties increased.  The rate decreased in four counties and remained the same in two counties.  County unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted and therefore reflect seasonal expansions and layoffs that occur during the year.  The state and U.S. unemployment rates are seasonally adjusted to eliminate normal seasonal fluctuations and to indicate a more accurate measurement of actual economic change.

Williamson County registered the state's lowest county unemployment rate at 3.5 percent, the same as the December 2007 rate.  Pickett County had the state’s highest at 10.7 percent, up from 9.5 in December, followed by Perry County at 10.2 percent, up from 9.0 in December.

Knox County had the state’s lowest major metropolitan rate at 3.8 percent, up from 3.7 in December.  Davidson County was 4.2 percent, up from 4.1 in December.  Hamilton County was at 4.6 percent, up from 4.3 in December, and Shelby County was 5.6 percent, up from the December rate of 5.4.