⊕ First unemployment numbers of 2015 show gains statewide

Four UC counties hit double digits

UPPER CUMBERLAND – The Upper Cumberland – and entire state of Tennessee – saw an increase in unemployment in January.

Unemployment jumped in all 95 counties, according to the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, which issued its first jobless report of 2015 last week.

Overall, the region’s unemployment stood at 8.3 percent, an increase of 1.5 percentage points from the previous month. Macon posted the best rate at 6.7, followed by Cannon (7.0), Putnam (7.2), Warren (7.3), White (7.8), DeKalb (8.6), Fentress (9.3), Overton (9.6) and Cumberland (9.9).

The region had four counties in double digits, including Jackson (10.2), Pickett (10.9), Van Buren (11.5) and Clay (12.2). Clay saw the biggest flux, an increase of 2.7 percentage points from December. Overton and Van Buren both followed with swings of 2.2 percentage points in January.

For January, Tennessee’s unemployment rate was 7.1 percent (not seasonally adjusted), up 1.0 percentage points from December. The national unemployment, as a comparison, was 6.1 percent, an increase from December’s rate of 5.4.

 

Counties January December January 2014
Cannon 7.0 5.7 5.8
Clay 12.2 9.5 10.5
Cumberland 9.9 8.4 8.8
DeKalb 8.6 7.4 8.1
Fentress 9.3 7.7 8.6
Jackson 10.2 8.1 9.3
Macon 6.7 5.6 6.8
Overton 9.6 7.4 8.8
Pickett 10.9 9.5 10.1
Putnam 7.2 6.1 6.9
Smith 7.2 5.5 6.8
Van Buren 11.5 9.3 10.9
Warren 7.3 6.2 7.4
White 7.8 6.8 7.9
UC 8.3 6.8 7.8
TN 7.1 6.4 7.3

 

Liz Engel is the editor of the Upper Cumberland Business Journal. She can be reached at liz@ucbjournal.com

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