Cannon's Jobless Rate Down, State's Up

NASHVILLE – Tennessee’s unemployment rate for February was 9.6 percent, up 0.2 from the revised January rate of 9.4 percent.

Cannon County's jobless rate fell from 11.5 to 10.1 percent, a decline of 1.4 percent. The county had a rate of 10.3 in February of 2010.

State figures show Cannon County with an estimated workforce of 6,640, of which 5,970 are employed.

The national unemployment rate for February 2011 was 8.9 percent, 0.1 percentage point lower than the January rate.

County non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rates for February 2011, released today, show that the rate decreased in 57 counties, increased in 26 counties and remained the same in 12 counties.

Lincoln County registered the state's lowest county unemployment rate at 6.6 percent, down from the January rate of 6.7 percent.  Scott County had the state’s highest unemployment rate at 22.7 percent, down from 23.2 percent in the previous month, followed by Pickett County at 18.0 percent, down from the January rate of 18.4 percent.

Knox County had the state’s lowest major metropolitan rate of 7.6 percent, up from 7.5 percent in January.  Hamilton County was 8.6 percent, down from 8.7 percent the previous month.  Davidson County was 8.7 percent, up from 8.6 percent in January, and Shelby County was 10.5 percent, up from 10.4 percent in January.