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Tennessee Unemployment Falls Back In Line With U.S. Rate

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Unemployment in Tennessee has tracked above 8 percent for much of the last year, well above the national rate. Additionally, state economist Robert Curry says many people in the state have simply given up on finding work. (Credit photologue_np / flickr)

Unemployment in Tennessee tracked above 8 percent for much of 2012, well above the national rate. Additionally, state economist Robert Curry said many people in the state have simply given up on finding work. (Credit photologue_np / flickr)

Tennessee’s unemployment rate has fallen in line with national jobless figure. The April number dropped to 6.3 percent.

The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development says fewer than 200,000 people in the state are considered jobless. That’s the lowest number since May of 2008.

The 6.3 percent unemployment rate represents a steep decrease from this time last year, when unemployment had taken a turn back up. Tennessee’s jobless figure was nearly a full percentage point higher than the U.S. rate and economists were having trouble explaining exactly why.

Now the state has strung together eight-straight months of improvement in job market.

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Blake Farmer, Host, This Is Nashville

Blake Farmer is the host of “This Is Nashville,” the flagship weekday show of Nashville Public Radio. Previously, Blake spent 16 years at WPLN News, serving as host, editor and news director. Before a two-year radio hiatus with a Nashville-based healthcare company, Blake was one of the country’s most prolific healthcare audio journalists. He produced stories for both local and national programs, extending the reach of his reporting through a partnership with KFF Health News. Outside of work, Blake can be found running or biking on roads that other Nashvillians consider too busy for such activities. So far, he has always made it home to his wife of 20 years and two children.

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