November Unemployment Rate 9.1 Percent

Rate Drops 0.4 Percentage Point from October

Nashville, TN (2011-12-15) Tennessee Commissioner of Labor & Workforce Development Karla Davis announced today Tennessee’s unemployment rate for November fell to 9.1 percent, down from the October revised rate of 9.5. The national unemployment rate for November 2011 was 8.6 percent, a decrease of 0.4 percentage point from the October rate.

“This is the lowest unemployment rate Tennessee has experienced since January of 2009 at 9.0 percent,” Commissioner Davis said. “After seasonal adjustments were made, nearly 10,000 jobs were created since October with positive job growth in the service sector such as retail trade and temporary jobs.”

The state’s unemployment rate is seasonally adjusted to account for the hiring and layoff patterns that accompany regular events such as the winter holiday season and the summer vacation season.

From October to November, trade/transportation/utilities increased 9,200, of which 8,900 was in retail trade; and professional and business services was up by 7,100, and government increased by1,500 jobs. From October to November, arts, entertainment, and recreation decreased by 1,800 jobs; wholesale trade was down 1,400; and durable goods manufacturing declined by 400 jobs.

Year-over-year increases took place in local government education services, up 12,300 jobs; professional and business services was up 9,000; and manufacturing increased by 5,400. Employment decreases took place in retail trade, which was down by 4,700 jobs; merchant wholesalers of nondurable goods were down 1,600; and hospitals declined by 1,400 jobs.