County unemployment dips slightly

The good news is that while the jobless rate for Tennessee rose last month to 9.9 percent, 0.3 percentage point higher than the rate from March, the figures fell for many counties, including here.

On the down side, the number of those out of work in Bedford County is still more than twice the figure reported for April of last year, which was 5.3 percent.

This year, the county had a reported workforce of 22,720, with 20,280 working and 2,440 without a job for April. The United States' unemployment rate for the month of April was 8.9 percent.

County non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rates for last month show that the rate increased in 29 counties, decreased in 59 counties and remained the same in seven counties.

Neighboring Lincoln County registered the state's lowest county unemployment rate at 6.3 percent, along with Williamson County.

Perry County had the state's highest unemployment rate at 23.9 percent, down from 25.6 in March, followed by Scott County at 18.3 percent, down from 18.8 percent in March.

Knox County had the state's lowest major metropolitan rate of 7.4 percent, up 0.1 percentage point from the March rate. Davidson County was 8.0 percent, up 0.1 from the previous month.

Hamilton County was at 8.3 percent, up 0.3 percentage point from the March rate, and Shelby County was 8.9 percent, unchanged from the March rate.

"The unemployment rate is the highest it's been in 25 years," Tennessee Commissioner of Labor & Workforce Development Commissioner James Neeley said.

"Tennessee still has more manufacturing than the national average as well as wholesale and retail distribution. This environment, along with the reduction in goods consumption, has had a big impact on Tennessee's economy."

According to the state's Business Survey, 6,300 job gains occurred in leisure and hospitality; 1,100 in nondurable goods manufacturing; and 1,100 in retail trade. Major employment decreases occurred in professional and business services, down by 1,800; educational and health services declined by 1,500 jobs; and wholesale trade decreased by 1,500.

Year-over-year increases occurred in health care and social assistance, up by 9,400; local government increased 1,700; and food services and drinking places gained 1,300; manufacturing was down 40,500; trade transportation and utilities lost 28,900; and mining and construction decreased by 25,400.