RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TN - Seasonal changes in employment that occur annually, such as school breaks, caused Tennessee’s county unemployment numbers to increase in June, according to new data released by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD).
 

Unlike the statewide unemployment rate, at an all-time low in Tennessee, county unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted to consider the effects of seasonal impacts on employment.
 
June’s data showed unemployment rates increased in each of Tennessee’s 95 counties during the month. Eighty-two counties had unemployment rates less than 5% in June, while the remaining 13 counties had 5% or greater rates but less than 10%.
 

LOCAL UNEMPLOYMENT: Rutherford County ranks number 7 on the list of counties with the lowest unemployment rates in the state, boasting a jobless number of 3%. Both Murfreesboro and Smyrna tied with a 3% jobless rate for the month of June, reflecting increases from the previous month of May. Smyrna's rate rose by 0.7 percentage points, while Murfreesboro's rate increased by 0.6 percentage points. LaVergne recorded an unemployment rate of 3.1% for June, which is up by 0.7 percentage points when compared to May. During the same period of time in 2023, Smyrna had an unemployment rate that was 0.2 points lower at 2.8%, Murfreesboro's rate was unchanged at 3%, while LaVergne's rate was 0.1 points lower last June at 3% when compared to June of this year at 3.1%.

Sevier and Williamson counties reported the lowest unemployment numbers for the month, with rates of 2.7%. Both counties saw an increase of 0.6 of a percentage point between May and June. Cheatham County had the next lowest rate at 2.8%, which was a 0.5 of a percentage point jump from its May rate.

Bledsoe County had the state’s highest unemployment rate in June. At 5.8%, the county experienced a 1.4 percentage point increase in a month-to-month comparison.v McNairy County came in with the second-highest rate at 5.7%, a 1.5 percentage point increase from its rate in May.
 
Tennessee's statewide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for June remained at a record-breaking 3% for the second month, as TDLWD reported on July 18.
 
A full analysis of the county unemployment data and data for cities across the state is available here.
 
Tennesseans searching for employment can find assistance at one of nearly 80 American Job Centers statewide. Potential workers can start the process of determining which programs can help them the most at Tennessee’s Virtual American Job Center, which is available anytime, anywhere.