UC sees unemployment surge in May

Trend seen statewide

UPPER CUMBERLAND – The Upper Cumberland saw a slight surge in unemployment in May as all 14 counties experienced increases in jobless rates from April.

The only silver lining in the report, released today by the Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development, is that five counties in the region beat or matched the state and national numbers, of 6.3 percent, and no county was in double digits.

Smith (5.3), Cannon (5.5), Macon (5.8), Putnam (6.2) and DeKalb (6.3) posted the lowest unemployment rates in the region, and every county did improve on its year-over-year numbers.

Rounding out the region were Pickett (9.9), Van Buren (8.8), Clay (8.4), White (8.4), Jackson (7.5), Cumberland (7.4), Fentress (7.4), Overton (7.1) and Warren (6.9).

The jump from April’s unemployment mirrors a trend statewide. Rates increased in 88 counties overall, decreased in five and remained the same in two. Total nonfarm employment increased 6,700 jobs from April to May. The largest increases occurred in leisure/hospitality, retail trade and local government.

Over the year, nonfarm employment increased 56,900 jobs. The largest increases occurred in professional/business services, leisure/hospitality, and trade/transportation/utilities. And over the past year, Tennessee’s unemployment rate decreased from 8.4 percent to 6.3 percent while the national rate decreased from 7.5 percent to 6.3 percent.