Rate Decreases in 90 Counties, Increases in Two, and Stays the Same in Three
Nashville, TN – County non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rates for August 2012, released today, show the rate decreased in 90 counties, increased in two, and stayed the same in three.
Tennessee’s unemployment rate for August increased to 8.5 percent, up from the July revised rate of 8.4 percent. The national unemployment rate for August 2012 was 8.1 percent, 0.2 percentage point lower than the July rate.
The state unemployment rate is seasonally adjusted while the county unemployment rates are not.
Seasonal adjustment is a statistical technique that eliminates the influences of weather, holidays, the opening and closing of schools, and other recurring seasonal events from economic time series.
The Montgomery County unemployment rate for August decreased to 8.0 percent, down from the July rate of 8.8 percent.
Knox County had the state’s lowest major metropolitan rate of 6.7 percent, unchanged from the July rate. Davidson County was 7.4 percent, unchanged from the previous month. Hamilton County was 7.7 percent, down from 8.4 percent, and Shelby County was 9.0 percent, down from 9.7 percent in July