November 8, 2021
By: Dwayne Page
Unemployment rates dropped in a majority of counties across Tennessee in September, according to the latest data released by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD).
Eighty-eight of the state’s 95 counties experienced lower unemployment during the month. Rates increased in six counties in September and remained the same in one county.
DeKalb County’s jobless rate was at 4% for September, down from 4.5% in August and below the 7.2% rate in September 2020.
The local labor force for September 2021 was 7,563. A total of 7,261 were employed and 302 were without work.
The unemployment rates in 87 counties stand at less than 5%, while the rates are greater than 5%, but less than 10%, in the remaining eight counties.
Williamson and Moore counties had the lowest percentage of unemployed residents for the month, each with a September rate of 2.3%. That was a 0.3 of a percentage point decrease from the August rate for Williamson County and a 0.4 of a percentage point drop for Moore County.
Perry County had the highest unemployment rate for the month at 8.4%, which was a 1.9 percentage point increase from its August rate of 6.5%. Maury County had the state’s second-highest rate in September. Unemployment in the county grew by 1.5 percentage points to 6.1%.
Tennessee’s statewide unemployment rate dropped for the fourth consecutive month in September, decreasing from 4.6% in August to 4.4%.
Unemployment across the country also ticked down in September. Nationally, the jobless rate dropped by 0.4 of a percentage point to 4.8%.
Unlike the statewide and national unemployment rates, county unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted to factor in seasonal economic influences such as school breaks and severe weather conditions.
TDLWD has produced a complete analysis of the September 2021 county unemployment data and that information can be found here.
Tennesseans can find the resources they need to help them navigate their return to the workplace at www.TNWorkReady.com. This includes over 550,000 job openings in and near Tennessee, as well as information about available training programs to help individuals skill up for a new career.