Story Published:
Aug 29, 2010 at 10:21 PM CST
Story Updated:
Aug 30, 2010 at 12:15 AM CST
Frank X. (name witheld) is one job-hunter who believes that figure may be misleading and voiced a theory: "A lot of people have taken jobs that are well below what they were earning before, just to have some sort of work."
According to one hiring manager in the area, "It's like a single job is a cup of water in the desert. People come from every walk of life and with all manner of experiences for what is basically a minimum wage job."
But if work is work, the numbers are looking a bit better. Putnam county, historically, has had one of the lower unemployment figures in the state, so 9% is still about double the area's norm. Out of a labor force of just over 35,000 workers, it means that more than 3,000 remain unemployed.
Overton County's jobless rate was unchanged at 11.1 percent. Jackson County's unemployment was 11.4 percent and White County had the highest jobless rate at 12.2 percent. Cumberland County's rate is 10.1.
Tennessee’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for July was 9.8 percent, down two-tenths of a percentage point from the revised June rate of 10.0 percent. The national unemployment rate for July 2010 was 9.5 percent.
County non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rates for July 2010 show that the rate decreased in 87 counties, increased in 5 counties and remained the same in three counties.
Lincoln County registered the state's lowest county unemployment rate at 6.4 percent, down from 6.7 percent in June. Scott County had the state’s highest unemployment rate at 19.4 percent, down from 20.8 percent, followed by Marshall County at 15.7 percent, down from 16.6 percent in the previous month.
Knox County had the state’s lowest major metropolitan rate of 7.5 percent, down from 7.8 percent in June. Davidson County was 9.3 percent, up from 9.0 percent. Hamilton County was 8.4 percent, down from 9.1 in June, and Shelby County was 9.9 percent, down from 10.5.
