By Michelle Price
Special to the UCBJ
NASHVILLE – Unemployment rates are up across the board with the region, state and nation all reporting an increase in unemployment. This can largely be attributed to a boost in seasonal unemployment reflecting school employees on their yearly summer break.
All 14 of the Upper Cumberland counties reported higher unemployment in June 2022 than in May 2022; however, they were all lower than the rate reported in June 2021.
The three counties that are part of the Nashville-Murfreesboro Metropolitan Statistical Area all had unemployment rates at or below the national rate of 3.8%, with Cannon and Macon at 3.8% and Smith at 3.7%.
The Upper Cumberland region had an unemployment rate of 4.6% slightly over the state’s 4.3%.
Van Buren County had the highest unemployment at 5.9%, followed closely by Clay County at 5.8%. Also above 5% were Warren (5.4%) and Cumberland (5.2%).
Unemployment across the remainder of the region also rose slightly with DeKalb (4.9%), Fentress (4.9%), Jackson (4.9%), Overton (4.1%), Pickett (4.8%), Putnam (4.2%) and White (4.7%).
