RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TN - All but one of Tennessee’s 95 counties reported a drop in their unemployment rates in April, according to newly released data from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD). Williamson County recorded the state’s lowest unemployment rate for the month of April at 2.2%. The rate was down two-tenths of a percentage point from the previous month. Coming in at a very close second, only 1-tenth of a point behind the Brentwood / Franklin area, was Rutherford County. The jobless rate for Rutherford County was a cool 2.3% this past April, which is down three-tenths of a percentage point from March.
As for the municipalities within Rutherford County, it was positive news all the way around. Between March and April, both Murfreesboro and LaVergne saw their unemployment rates drop by 4-tenths of a point from 2.8% to 2.4%. Smyrna also saw a decrease in numbers, but not low enough to rise above the 'Boro or LaVergne, at least not this time around. Smyrna's decrease was recorded at 2-tenths of a point lower than the previous month, tying with its two counterparts at 2.4%. Eagleville unemployment rates are not included in the monthly count, because the numbers are only calculated for cities with at least 25-thousand residents.
Additional jobless data that proved positive for counties included the low 2.4% unemployment numbers recorded in Wilson, Cheatham, Knox, and Robertson Counties.
Overall, unemployment rates decreased from March to April in 94 of the 95 counties across the state. The only county that saw an increase in unemployment was Unicoi County, where the rate went up by 2-tenths of a point, climbing from 4.7% in March to 4.9% in April. The East Tennessee county has a population of roughly 18,000 residents. Hardeman County followed closely with a rate of 4.5%, down seven-tenths of a percentage point from March.
Meanwhile in Johnson County, located in northeastern Tennessee, they had the state’s highest unemployment rate in April at 5.1%. Johnson was the only county with an unemployment rate higher than 5%. Still, the county’s rate was down one-tenth of a percentage point from the previous month.
Businesses across the state can build their talent pipelines with state-paid labor thanks to YEP, Tennessee’s Youth Employment Program. YEP matches motivated youths with employers in diverse industries. Local partners take care of payroll and insurance so there’s no administrative hassle for participating employers. Learn more at yeptn.com.
