County unemployment rates for September 2016, released Thursday, show the rates decreased in 21 counties, increased in 46, and remained the same in 28 counties. Specific county information for September is available on the Internet
For the month of September, Davidson County had the state’s lowest major metropolitan rate at 3.9 percent, increasing from 3.8 percent the previous month. Knox County was 4.3 percent in September, unchanged from the previous month. The Hamilton County rate was 5.1 percent, increasing from 5.0 the previous month. Shelby County was 5.8 percent, unchanged from the previous month.
Tennessee’s preliminary unemployment rate for September was 4.6 percent, increasing two-tenths of a percentage point from the previous month’s revised rate. The U.S. preliminary rate for September was 5.0 percent, increasing one-tenth of a percentage point from the previous month.
The state and national unemployment rates are 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.
