Seasonal changes in employment that occur annually, such as school breaks, caused Tennessee’s county unemployment numbers to increase in June, according to new data released by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
Unemployment in Hamilton County increased 0.8% from 2.7% to 3.5% from May to June. The rate is, however, still 0.4% lower than it was in June of 2023.
Unlike the statewide unemployment rate, at an all-time low in Tennessee, county unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted to consider the effects of seasonal impacts on employment.
June’s data showed unemployment rates increased in each of Tennessee’s 95 counties during the month. Eighty-two counties had unemployment rates less than 5% in June, while the remaining 13 counties had 5% or greater rates but less than 10%.
Bledsoe County had the state’s highest unemployment rate in June. At 5.8%, the county experienced a 1.4 percentage point increase in a month-to-month comparison.
Tennessee's statewide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for June remained at a record-breaking 3% for the second month, as TDLWD reported on July 18.
A full analysis of the county unemployment data and data for cities across the state is available here.
Tennesseans searching for employment can find assistance at one of nearly 80 American Job Centers statewide. They can start the process of determining which programs can help them the most at Tennessee’s Virtual American Job Center, which is available anytime, anywhere.