January 31, 2020
By: Dwayne Page
New data released by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development showed the vast majority of counties in the state had unemployment rates below 5% during December 2019.
The DeKalb County jobless rate for December was 3.8%, down from 3.9% in November and 3.9% in December, 2018.
The local labor force for December was 7,805. A total of 7,505 were employed and 300 had no job.
In December 2019, unemployment rates compared with the previous month decreased in 12 counties, increased in 55 counties, and remained unchanged in 28 counties.
Williamson County continued to have Tennessee’s lowest unemployment rate at 2.2%, which mirrored its November rate.
Davidson, Rutherford, and Cheatham counties each had an unemployment rate of 2.3% in December. That number held steady for Davidson County, dropped by 0.1% for Cheatham County, and decreased by 0.1% in Rutherford County when compared to the November rates.
Lincoln and Clay counties recorded the state’s highest unemployment in December. Each has a rate of 6.2%, which amounted to a 1.8% increase for Lincoln County and a 0.3% increase for Clay County. McNairy County also had a rate at or above 6%, which was 1.3% higher than in November.
Seasonally adjusted unemployment statewide held steady in December. The latest rate of 3.3% remained unchanged from Tennessee’s November unemployment rate.
Nationally, unemployment also showed no movement in December. The rate held steady at 3.5% for the last month of 2019.
Tennesseans looking for new employment opportunities will find more than 195,000 current job openings from across the state on Tennessee’s workforce development website, www.Jobs4TN.gov. They can also find job search assistance, resume writing tips, and job interview advice at more than 80 American Jobs Centers across the state.