Lake, Shelby counties have highest unemployment rate in Tennessee

(The Center Square) – Lake and Shelby counties recorded the highest unemployment rates in Tennessee during the month of November, according to Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development data.

Williamson and Moore counties had the lowest unemployment rates.

The statewide unemployment rate fell to 5.3% in November – 2 percentage points lower than October’s rate. Forty-one of Tennessee’s 95 counties have unemployment rates less than 5%.

Lake County in northwest Tennessee saw a 2 percentage point decrease in unemployment in November but still recorded the state’s highest unemployment rate of 8.1%.

Shelby County, Tennessee’s largest county, reported the second-highest jobless rate at 7.3% after decreasing 3.7 percentage points from its October rate of 11%. Shelby County will be under a safer at home order beginning Saturday.

Of the four major metropolitan areas, Knox County reported the lowest unemployment rate at 4.1%, followed by Davidson County at 4.6%, Hamilton County at 4.7% and Shelby County at 7.3%.

Williamson County had the lowest unemployment rate statewide at 3.3%. Moore County had the state’s second-lowest unemployment rate at 3.6%.