Local jobless rate jumps to 8.1%
Scott County’s unemployment rate continues to climb, and currently stands at 8.1%, according to figures released last week from the Department of Labor & Workforce Development.
The December unemployment rate was up eight-tenths of a percentage point from November, when the local jobless rate stood at 7.3%. It also represented a large increase from December 2006, when the unemployment rate was 7.0%.
Those figures are based on a local labor force of 8,470 persons, with 7,790 workers being employed during the November-to-December reporting period and 680 being without work.
The climbing unemployment rate reflects a trend that is happening across the state. In December, 76 counties posted increased jobless rates, while only 10 counties posted decreased rates.
Among neighboring counties, Anderson County’s unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.4%, while Campbell County’s rate increased slightly from 5.6% to 5.8%. Fentress County’s jobless rate jumped from 6.2% to 7.0%, Morgan County’s rate increased from 5.3% to 5.7%, and Pickett County saw its unemployment rate jump from 8.8% to 9.9%.
Scott County has the ninth-highest unemployment rate in the state, behind Pickett, Marshall, Clay, Lawrence, Lewis, Maury, Perry and Wayne counties.
The lowest unemployment rate was recorded in Williamson County, at 3.6%.
Among metropolitan areas, Knoxville continued to post the lowest unemployment rate, at 4.0%, up from 3.9% in November. Nashville-Murfreesboro posted a jobless rate of 4.2%, unchanged from November. Chattanooga’s unemployment rate was 4.3%, down from 4.4% in November, while Memphis posted a jobless rate of 5.5%, up from 5.2% in November.
The statewide jobless rate is 5.3%, up from 4.9% in November. The national unemployment rate is 5.0%, up from 4.7% in November.
Labor-WFD Commissioner James Neeley blamed the increased jobless rates on a national slowdown in employment growth.
“Tennessee’s unemployment rate experienced a notable increase from November to December, consistent with what’s happening across the nation,” Neeley said. “We see this as a result of a slowdown in employment growth in the overall economy in Tennessee and the nation.”
Employment gains made in Tennessee from November to December were largely seasonal, with retail trade increasing by 4,200, professional and business services employment increasing 1,300 jobs, and transportation and warehousing jobs increasing by 1,100.
Month-to-month declines included accomodation and food services employment, down 1,100, employment in state government educational services, down 900, and machinery manufacturing, down 600 jobs.
Over-the-year increases took place in leisure and hospitality jobs, up 8,000, educational and health services employment, up 7,100, and construction jobs, up 7,000. Twelve-month decreases included manufacturing jobs, down 7,400, and professional and business services employment, down 1,800. Clothing and accessories stores employment declined by 1,600 jobs.