Tennessee's steady September unemployment figure, holding at 3.6%, displays an economy that mirrors a still lake more than a turbulent sea. According to data released by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD), this alignment occurred despite the impact of a federal government shutdown on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which delayed the data's release. Nationally, the rate sits a tad higher at 4.4%, positioning Tennessee in a relatively favorable light.
Job growth was subtle but present, with a 3,400 increase in nonfarm employment between August and September across the state. It was the accommodation and food services, alongside durable goods manufacturing and the government sector, that led this modest march of progress.
Over the course of a year, Tennessee boasted an addition of 35,800 nonfarm jobs. As per the TDLWD's economic analysis, the most significant leaps were witnessed within government, leisure and hospitality, and professional and business services. This gain is indicative of an economy not sprinting but certainly taking consistent strides forward.
Digging into the county data, nearly every Tennessee county kept unemployment rates below the 5% threshold in September. Despite the statewide calm, Perry County saw turbulence, as it presented the highest rate at 5.6%, marking a half percentage point increase from August. Following Perry, Hardeman County reported the second-highest rate at 5.1%, which, despite the need for concern, remained unchanged from the month prior.
The lowest unemployment rates were tied between Sevier and Williamson counties, both sitting at a comfortable 2.8%. The latest numbers specify that the calm is not universally felt across the state's geography, but the overall picture is one unwavering from August data. Note that county rates do not account for seasonal employment variations as the statewide rate does.
Folks looking for a more granular breakdown of the September county unemployment data can sift through the detailed analysis offered by the TDLWD. As for upcoming data on employment for October and November, TDLWD has not yet released a schedule for their publication, a waiting game that businesses and job seekers alike must play.
