Bedford unemployment rate shows slight decrease

Bedford County's unemployment rate dropped slightly in August to 7 percent, according to preliminary figures released Thursday by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

The rate fell just 0.1 percent from the revised figure of 7.1 percent in July. Preliminary figures show that Bedford County had a workforce of 22,980, with 21,380 working and 1,610 unemployed.

Tennessee's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for August was at 6.6 percent, 0.2 percentage point lower than the July revised rate of 6.8 percent.

The United States unemployment rate for the month of August was 6.1 percent.

"Tennessee's unemployment rate of 6.6 percent, a 0.2 percentage points decline from July, is the result of modest gains in employment during the month," said Tennessee Commissioner of Labor & Workforce Development James Neeley Neeley. "Employment during August saw a growth of 0.1 percent, representing 3,200 employed persons."

County non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rates for August show that 78 counties decreased. The rate increased in eight counties and remained the same in nine counties.

Williamson County registered the state's lowest county unemployment rate at 4.7 percent, up 0.1 from the July rate of 4.6 percent. Perry County had the state's highest at 16.2 percent, down 3.3 from the July rate of 19.5, followed by Lauderdale County at 12.5 percent, down from 14.7 in July.

Knox County had the state's lowest major metropolitan county rate at 5.0 percent, down 0.5 percentage point from the July rate of 5.5 percent. Davidson County's rate increased to 5.6 percent, up 0.1 from the July rate of 5.5 percent. Hamilton County was at 6.1 percent, the same as July, and Shelby County was 7.2 percent, down 0.1 from the July rate of 7.3 percent.

According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Tennessee reported 17 mass layoffs in August, resulting in 1,496 initial claims for unemployment insurance. That was up from nine mass layoffs and 574 unemployment claims in August 2007.

The business survey shows July-to-August gains in local government educational services, increasing by 10,400; trade, transportation and utilities added 2,600 jobs; manufacturing increased by 2,500, as did professional and business services. Seasonal declines included leisure and hospitality, losing 2,700 jobs; other services were down 1,100; and building material and garden supply stores decreased by 500.

From July 2007 to July 2008, educational and health services continued to create a significant number of new jobs, adding 6,700. Local government educational services increased by 2,900; and general merchandise stores was up by 1,700. Over-the-year losses totaling 19,100 were evenly split between goods-producing and service-providing employment. Good-producing losses were concentrated in manufacturing, down by 9,500. Declines in service-providing industries occurred in professional and business services, down 7,400; leisure and hospitality lost 6,900; and financial activities decreased by 2,300.