(The Center Square) – Tennessee’s unemployment rate is up slightly, but 91 of 94 counties still have a rate of less than 5%, according to the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
The state unemployment rate for November is 3.5%. Eight counties were at 3% or below. Moore and Williamson counties tied for the lowest at 2.6%.
The highest jobless rate was in Unicoi County at 6%. The county is one of the hardest hit by Hurricane Helene, which swept through northeast Tennessee in late September.
Unicoi is one of eight counties eligible for Disaster Unemployment Assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The others are Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Hawkins, Johnson and Washington counties. Residents who have used all of their state benefits or do not qualify have until Jan. 7 to apply, according to the department.
The other counties with rates over 5% are Bledsoe, McNairy and Lake.
The national jobless rate is 4.2%.
The state added 6,300 nonfarm jobs between October and November 2024, according to the department. The most significant increases are in the health care and social services sector, followed by professional, scientific, and technical services.
Tennessee’s labor force participation is lower than the national rate, according to a November presentation by the Boyd Center for Economic Business and Research to the State Funding Board.
The labor force participation rate was 59.4% in September, according to the presentation. The national rate is 62.7%.
