(NASHVILLE) The latest jobless numbers show unemployment increased in each of Tennessee’s counties during December 2020, according to new data released by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

There were six counties with an unemployment rate of less than 5% in December, 88 counties had rates greater than or equal to 5%, and one county had a rate higher than 10%.

Williamson County recorded December’s lowest unemployment rate among Tennessee’s 95 counties with 4.2 per cent unemployed. In the pre-COVID days, a year ago that neighbor had 2.1 per cent without jobs.

Some of the smaller counties are doing well, an example is that Moore County now ranks second lowest number of workers without jobs: 4.6 per cent.

Number 3 is Smith County which had 4.8 per cent in December.

Rutherford County tied for #4 position with Rutherford, Wilson and Cheatham counties each having 4.9 per cent of their workforce without jobs.

Lake County in upper northwest Tennessee had the state’s highest unemployment rate for the month with 10.6 per cent. December saw a 2.5 percentage point increase for December. The new rate is 5.5 percentage points higher than it was in December 2019.