Unemployment Rates Drop In 94 Of Tennessee's Counties During April

NASHVILLE - Unemployment rates for 94 of Tennessee's 95 counties dropped in April 2019 according to data released Thursday by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD).

The unemployment rate in Maury County remained unchanged for the month.

Ninety-four counties have rates lower than 5 percent and only one county's rate is higher than 5 percent.

Unemployment in Williamson County dipped below 2 percent in April. The county's current rate of 1.9 percent marks a 0.5 of a percentage point drop from the previous month.

Davidson County's unemployment rate hit a record low during April; it dropped by 0.5 of a percentage point and now sits at 2 percent. Rutherford County followed at 2.1 percent, while Cheatham, Wilson, Moore, and Sumner counties each recorded a rate of 2.2 percent in April.

Along with Davidson County, Wilson, Sumner, Smith, and Hickman counties marked record low unemployment. Rutherford County tied its all-time low rate.

"County unemployment rates continue to be extraordinarily positive," said TDLWD Commissioner Jeff McCord. "Across our state, we are now seeing unemployment rates at or below 5 percent become the norm."

Clay County has the state's highest rate in April at 5.6 percent, which is a 0.4 of a percentage point decrease from the previous month. Hancock and Rhea counties have the next highest rates at 4.9 percent. Those rates represent a 0.9 of a percentage point drop for Hancock County and the rate is 0.8 of a percentage point lower in Rhea County when compared to the previous month.

Statewide, unemployment remains at Tennessee's historic low of 3.2 percent. It is the third consecutive month the rate has been at the record level.

County unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted, while the state and national rates use the seasonal adjustment to eliminate outside influences on the statistics.

A complete analysis of the April 2019 county unemployment data is available here. You can find additional information about Tennessee labor statistics on the state's workforce development website, Jobs4TN.gov.

The state of Tennessee will release the statewide unemployment rate for May 2019 Thursday, June 20, 2019, at 1:30 p.m. CT.