September Unemployment Rate 7.2 Percent
Thursday, October 16, 2008 | 08:59am
Rate Up 0.6 Percentage Points from August
NASHVILLE– Tennessee Commissioner of Labor & Workforce Development James Neeley announced today Tennessee’s unemployment rate for September was 7.2 percent, up 0.6 percentage points from the August rate of 6.6. The September rate a year ago was 4.9 percent. The national unemployment rate for September 2008 was 6.1 percent, the same as the August rate.
“The downturn in the national economy is affecting all states,” said Commissioner Neeley. “Tennessee, like the rest of the nation, is experiencing job losses across all industries. There were some small gains in education and health services and local government education jobs.”
The business survey shows August-to-September gains in government employment, increasing by 10,700; educational and health services added 2,700 jobs; professional and business services increased by 2,400. Seasonal declines included leisure and hospitality, losing 5,000 jobs; trade, transportation and utilities lost 2,400; and manufacturing jobs decreased by 1,600.
From September 2007 to September 2008, educational and health services added 6,100 jobs. Local government educational services employment increased by 1,900. From 2007 manufacturing was down by 10,000. Professional and business services lost 6,800 jobs; leisure and hospitality lost 5,700.
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