Scott County Jobless Rate Dips 0.1 Percent In August

Nashville, TN (2011-09-22) The jobless rate in Scott County dipped one-tenth of a percent point in August, dropping to 19.7 percent.

According to the latest statistics from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the August unemployment rate in Scott County was 19.7 percent, a decrease of 0.1 of a percentage point. Based on an estimated labor force of 8,080 people, the rate indicated 1,590 persons were unemployed last month. The balance, 6,490 were employed. The slight reduction was largely gained through labor force reduction, as the estimated labor force fell 140 over the month.

Of the four contiguous Tennessee counties to Scott, the jobless rate dropped in three and increase in one. Campbell County’s jobless rate in August dropped from 11.7 to 11.5 percent. The unemployment rates in Fentress, Morgan and Pickett Counties likewise declined over the month, dropping 0.5 percentage point. The August rates were 11.2 percent, 10.6 percent, and 14.2 percent, respectively. Anderson County experienced a slight increase in joblessness over the month, reporting an August unemployment rate of 8.9 percent, an increase of 0.1 of a percentage point.

Lincoln County registered the state's lowest county unemployment rate at 6.4 percent, up from the July rate of 6.2 percent, followed by Williamson County at 6.8 percent, up from 6.7 percent. Scott County had the state’s highest unemployment rate at 19.7 percent, followed by Obion County at 17.2, up from 11.4 percent in July. Weakley County had the third highest rate, 15.2 percent. Lauderdale County’s August unemployment rate was 14.4 percent, the fourth highest in the state. Perry County and Pickett County both reported August rates of 14.2 percent, making them fifth and sixth respectively. Gibson County at 13.8 percent, and Haywood and Hancock Counties, both reporting August jobless rates of 13.7, rounded out the top ten.

Obion County’s dramatic 5.8 percent increase in joblessness was largely attributed to the closing of the Goodyear plant in Union City, which displaced an estimated 1900 workers.

Knox County had the state’s lowest major metropolitan rate of 7.7 percent, up from 7.5 percent in July. Hamilton County was 8.6 percent, up from 8.4 percent the previous month. Davidson County was 8.8 percent, up from 8.5 percent in July, and Shelby County was 10.4 percent, down from the July unemployment rate of 10.5 percent.