Tennessee’s unemployment rate improved slightly in the month of April. The jobless rate fell to 10.5% – down one-tenth of a point from March and even with April of last year. State labor officials say a larger improvement is masked by more people looking for work.
The state’s labor force – people who either have or want to have jobs – is at its highest point since this time last year, meaning some people are returning to the job hunt. The actual count of unemployed people in Tennessee is at its lowest point in 12 months – roughly 318,000.
Labor Commissioner James Neeley says those new people looking for work cover up the fact that employment growth was strong in April. He says the unemployment rate stayed relatively flat because of a “substantial increase” in the number of people reentering the labor force.
Since April of last year, administrative and support positions have grown by 9,000. More than 8,000 jobs have been added in education and health services. Decreases have occurred in durable goods manufacturing and construction.
While Tennessee’s unemployment dropped slightly in April to 10.5%, it’s still higher than the national rate, which rose to 9.9% last month.
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