February 2014 County Unemployment Rates

NASHVILLE – County unemployment rates for February 2014, released today, show the rate decreased in 21 counties, increased in 61 counties, and remained the same in 13. Specific county information for February is available on the Internet; enter http://www.tn.gov/labor-wfd/labor_figures/LaborFeb2014.pdf.

Davidson County had the state’s lowest major metropolitan rate of 5.6 percent in February, up from 5.3 percent in January. Knox County’s February rate was 5.7 percent, up from 5.5. Hamilton County was 6.9 percent, down from 7.1. Shelby County was 8.4 percent, down from 8.5. Tennessee’s unemployment rate for February was 6.9 percent, which is three-tenths of one percentage point lower than the January revised rate. The national unemployment rate for February 2014 was 6.7 percent, up one-tenth of one percentage point from February.

The state unemployment rate is 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.

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