Unemployment rate is state's 2nd highest
Scott County’s unemployment rate jumped to the second-highest in the state in November as continued job losses and unemployment claims continued to increase.
According to the State Dept. of Labor & Workforce Development, the jobless rate climbed 1.6 points from October to November, from 12.7% to 14.3%. Only Perry County’s unemployment rate was higher, at 18.8%.
But Scott County wasn’t alone as the employment picture continued to worsen. Although Tennessee’s statewide unemployment rate decreased slightly — from 7.0% in October to 6.9% in November — 62 individual counties posted increased unemployment rates in November, while jobless rates decreased in just 20 counties.
The Upper Cumberlands region continues to be impacted hard by the economic downturn, with several counties posting jobless rates among the 10 highest in the state — including neighboring counties Pickett (fourth-highest, at 12.9%) and Fentress (10th-highest, at 10.7%).
Among other neighboring counties, Anderson posted a jobless rate of 5.9%, while Campbell County’s climbed to 8.8%, and Morgan County’s decreased to 7.6%.
The state’s lowest unemployment rate was posted in Williamson County, at 4.6%.
Locally, 7,450 of 8,690 workers were employed in November, with jobless claims jumping to 1,240.
In major metropolitan areas, Knox County posted the lowest unemployment rate, at 5.2%, up 0.2% from October. Davidson County’s jobless rate was 5.5%, unchanged from October. Hamilton County posted a jobless rate of 5.8%, down from 6.1% in October. Memphis reported an unemployment rate of 6.8%, down from 7.1% in October.