April Unemployment Rate 7.8 Percent

Thursday, May 17, 2012 | 08:30am

State Unemployment Rate Drops for Ninth Consecutive Month

 

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Commissioner of Labor & Workforce Development Karla Davis announced today Tennessee’s unemployment rate for April fell to 7.8 percent, down from the March revised rate of 7.9 percent. The national unemployment rate for April 2012 was 8.1 percent, 0.1 percentage point lower than the March rate.

 

“While Tennessee’s unemployment rate has declined for nine consecutive months, April’s decrease is mostly attributable to a shrinking labor force,” said Commissioner Davis. “This is similar to the monthly change that occurred on the national level.”

 

Economic Summary:

·         The unemployment rate has declined for nine consecutive months.

·         Tennessee’s April unemployment rate is the lowest since November 2008.

·         The number of unemployed persons is the lowest since November 2008.

·         The number of unemployed persons has declined for 16 consecutive months.

·         The labor force has declined for four consecutive months.

 

Seasonally Adjusted Nonfarm Employment – Business Survey

(Numbers in thousands)

April 2011

Revised

Mar. 2012

Preliminary

April 2012

Change from
April 2011 to April 2012

Change from
Mar. 2012 to April 2012

Total Nonfarm

2,652.5

2,694.1

2,695.8

43.3

1.7

Mining/logging/construction

108.2

115.1

113.9

5.7

-1.2

Manufacturing

303.6

310.2

312.0

8.4

1.8

Trade/transportation/utilities

561.7

557.3

558.9

-2.8

1.6

Information

44.3

44.2

44.1

-0.2

-0.1

Financial activities

135.1

135.5

135.2

0.1

-0.3

Professional/business services

320.5

329.4

327.6

7.1

-1.8

Education/health services

379.8

388.9

389.3

9.5

0.4

Leisure/hospitality

265.7

270.3

271.8

6.1

1.5

Other services

101.7

101.9

101.8

0.1

 

Government

431.9

441.3

441.2

9.3

-0.1

 

 

 

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