By Michelle Price
UCBJ Managing Editor
UPPER CUMBERLAND – Although the unemployment rate for the state increased slightly in August, rates continue to fall across the Upper Cumberland region. Unemployment rates decreased in every county in our region for the month of August.
“It’s great to see unemployment rates decrease in so many counties across the state,” said TDLWD Commissioner, Burns Phillips. “Once again Tennessee successfully rebounded from the summer slump in unemployment we typically experience each year.”
Although the state’s unemployment rate slightly increased, up 0.1 percentage point to 3.8 percent, the rate for the Upper Cumberland region as a whole decreased 0.3 percentage points to 4.1 percent.
Smith County was again tied for the eighth lowest rate in Tennessee at 3.2 percent, which was down 0.2 of a percentage point when compared to the previous month. The county’s unemployment rate was also down 0.2 percentage points over August 2017.
Three counties had lower rates than the state average of 3.8 percent, Smith (3.2), Cannon (3.5) and Macon (3.7). Putnam and Overton counties tied the U.S. rate of 3.9 percent.
Rates for the other counties in the Upper Cumberland region decreased also with Overton (3.9) and Warren (4.1) counties both dropping 0.7 percent over last month.
Clay (4.5), Cumberland (4.3), DeKalb (4.6), Fentress (4.7), Jackson (5.1), Pickett (4.0), Van Buren (5.2) and White (4.1) all saw decreases month-over-month.
Tennessee’s preliminary unemployment rate for August was 3.8 percent (non-seasonally adjusted), up 0.1 percentage points from the previous month. The U.S. preliminary rate held constant at 3.9 percent.
*Rates are not seasonally adjusted.
