County unemployment rates for the month of June have been released, and the numbers in many counties are not what you might expect from an economic recovery.
Jobless rates increased in 91 of Tennessee’s 95 counties last month, according to the figures from the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development. There are a couple of major factors that explain the trend. Economists say that as the job market improves, more unemployed Tennesseans jump back into searching for work. The more people are out looking for work, the higher the measured unemployment rate.
But the figures from the Department of Labor and Workforce Development also show the number of available jobs in most employment sectors fell slightly in June. Both factors are likely culprits for the increase measured throughout the state.
Williamson County had the lowest unemployment rate, clocking in at 6.1 percent; Scott County had the highest, at more than 18 percent.
Knoxville's metro unemployment rate, which includes Anderson, Blount, Knox, Loudon and Union counties, came in at 7.5 percent in June, a half-percent increase over May.