As a further indication the state of Tennessee?s economic turnaround continues, unemployment rates for February 2021 dropped in nearly every county, according to new data from the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
Ninety counties experienced lower unemployment during the month. Four counties recorded an increase in unemployment, while Smith County?s February rate remained unchanged from the previous month.
Unemployment rates are less than 5% in 39 of the state?s 95 counties and under 10% in the remaining 56 counties.
Williamson County continued to have the state?s lowest jobless rate in February at 3.1%, down 0.1 of a percentage point from January.
Moore County recorded the second-lowest rate for the month at 3.4%, a 0.4 of a percentage point drop, followed by Wilson County?s rate of 3.7%, which was down 0.3 of a percentage point. At 8.6%, Lake County had Tennessee?s highest unemployment rate in February,
In Warren Co. the rate decreased 0.3 percent from 5.9 percent in January to 5.6 percent in February. One year ago the rate was 4.4 percent in February 2020. In White Co. it was 4.9 percent, up 0.2 percent from January. In February 2020 it was 4.2 percent. In Van Buren Co. it was 5.8 percent in February, down 0.6 percent from January In February 2020 it was 5.4 percent.
Statewide, unemployment dropped to 4.9% in February, down 0.2 of a percentage point from the previous month.
Unemployment also decreased across the United States during the month. The national February rate was 6.2%, a drop of 0.1 of a percentage point.