Unemployment rate falls to 7.2 percent

November 2, 2006

Scott County’s unemployment rate for the month of September decreased seven-tenths of a percentage point, according to figures released last week by the Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development.

The local jobless rate decreased from 7.9 percent in August to 7.2 percent in September, figures show. Those percentages are based on a local workforce of 8,220 workers, with 7,630 being employed and 500 being without work from the August-to-September reporting period.

Scott County’s rate reflected a statewide trend, which saw unemployment rates decrease in 93 counties and increase in only two.

Fentress County was one of the two counties that posted an increased unemployment rate in September, up 0.2 percent from August to 7.0 percent.

In other counties neighboring Scott, Morgan County posted the biggest decrease from August-to-September, down 2.4 percent to 5.7 percent. Anderson County posted a 1.4 percent decrease, from 5.2 percent to 3.8 percent. Campbell County’s rate decreased 1.3 percent, from 6.4 percent to 5.1 percent. Pickett County’s rate decreased 1.1 percent, from 7.7 percent to 6.6 percent.

Statewide, Williamson County continued to maintain the state’s lowest county unemployment rate, at 2.6 percent, down from 3.5 percent in August. Haywood County had the state’s highest unemployment rate at 8.9 percent, down from 10.8 percent in August.

Among major metropolitan counties, Knox County’s was the lowest, at 3.1 percent, down from 4.3 percent in August. Davidson County’s jobless rate was 3.7 percent, down from 5.0 percent in August. Hamilton County’s jobless rate was 3.9 percent, while Shelby County posted an unemployment rate of 5.1 percent, down from 6.7 percent in August.

The statewide unemployment rate for September was 4.6 percent, down from the seasonally-adjusted August rate of 5.7 percent. The national unemployment rate was also 4.6 percent, down from 4.7 percent in August.

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