No WhiteWash!

Kingsport again has the highest unemployment rate (12.6%) in the Tri-Cities area.  Where are the jobs that the local economic development people are supposed to bring to this area?

It is important to note that this 12.6 percent unemployment rate for Kingsport is not a true indicator of the actual unemployment rate.  The rate does not reflect those who have given up trying to find a job or those who worked as a contractor.  Recently, Eastman laid off a very large number of contract people which would not show up in the unemployment numbers.

Rates Increase in 88 Counties, Decrease in Six

NASHVILLE – Tennessee’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for May 2009 was released last week at 10.7 percent, 0.8 percentage point higher than the April rate of 9.9 percent. The United States’ unemployment rate for the month of May was 9.4 percent.

County non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rates for May 2009, released today, show that the rate increased in 88 counties, decreased in 6 counties and remained the same in one county.

Lincoln County registered the state’s lowest county unemployment rate at 6.5 percent, up from 6.3 in April. Perry County had the state’s highest unemployment rate at 24.6 percent, up from 24.0 in April, followed by Lauderdale County at 19.2 percent, up from 18.2 percent in April. These figures do not reflect the impact of job-creation efforts in Perry County that were announced in May.

Knox County had the state’s lowest major metropolitan rate of 8.0 percent, up 0.6 percentage point from the April rate. Davidson County was 8.6 percent, up 0.6. Hamilton County was 8.8 percent, up 0.6 percentage point, and Shelby County was 9.6 percent, up 0.7 percentage point.

To see the details for counties and cities, go to the link below.

http://www.tennessee.gov/labor-wfd/labor_figures/may2009county.pdf

Data is from the following links -  May, 2008, June 2008, July 2008, August 2008, Sept 2008, Oct 2008, Nov 2008, Dec 2008, Jan 2009, Feb 2009, Mar 2009, April 2009,  May, 2009