UC posts 6.2 percent unemployment in September
UPPER CUMBERLAND – Unemployment rates were up in many Upper Cumberland counties in September, according to Tennessee Department of Labor data released this week. But despite the hikes, the region’s jobless numbers dipped slightly from its August report.
The region’s unemployment rate of 6.2 for September was 0.1 percentage points lower than the previous month, even thought eight counties saw increases – albeit minor – including Macon (5.3), Cannon (5.8), White (6.1), Pickett (6.8), Cumberland (7.0), DeKalb (7.1), Van Buren (7.7) and Clay (8.1). Rates decreased in four counties, Putnam (5.7), Overton (6.5), Fentress (6.9) and Jackson (8.0). Smith (5.3) and Warren County (5.9), respectively, were unchanged.
Fentress, Overton, Van Buren and White have seen the biggest changes year-over-year. Rates in those counties have dropped a full percentage point or more since 2014, including 1.4 percentage points in Van Buren.
For the month, Tennessee’s non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.7 percent, 0.1 percentage points lower than August. The national unemployment for September, as a comparison, was 4.9 percent, down 0.3 percentage points from the previous month.
| Counties | September | August | September 2014 |
| Cannon | 5.8 | 5.6 | 6.2 |
| Clay | 8.1 | 7.9 | 7.9 |
| Cumberland | 7.0 | 6.7 | 7.5 |
| DeKalb | 7.1 | 7.0 | 7.6 |
| Fentress | 6.9 | 7.3 | 7.9 |
| Jackson | 7.4 | 7.5 | 8.0 |
| Macon | 5.3 | 5.2 | 6.1 |
| Overton | 6.5 | 6.6 | 7.6 |
| Pickett | 6.8 | 6.6 | 6.6 |
| Putnam | 5.7 | 6.1 | 6.6 |
| Smith | 5.3 | 5.3 | 6.0 |
| Van Buren | 7.7 | 7.4 | 9.1 |
| Warren | 5.9 | 5.9 | 6.6 |
| White | 6.1 | 6.0 | 7.2 |
| UC | 6.2 | 6.3 | 7.0 |
| TN* | 5.7 | 5.8 | 6.5 |
*Non-seasonally adjusted
