New data released shows Tennessee’s statewide unemployment rate held steady during the final month of 2018.
The seasonally adjusted statewide unemployment rate for December 2018 was 3.6 percent, which mirrored the rate from the previous month.
While the unemployment rate remained steady, there were fewer available positions for job seekers. Total nonfarm employment decreased by 5,800 in December. The trade/transportation/utilities sector experienced the biggest decline with a loss of 2,800 jobs. Mining/logging/construction is the only sector that saw growth, adding 100 new jobs statewide.
Even with the decline in jobs during the last month of 2018, year-to-year statistics showed Tennessee employers created 59,100 new positions across the state.
The national unemployment rate increased in December for the first time since June. The United States unemployment rate was 3.9 percent last month, 0.2 of a percentage point higher than it was in November.
The statewide and national unemployment rates are seasonally adjusted to eliminate the influences of weather, holidays, the opening and closing of schools, and other recurring seasonal events from an economic time series.
Tennesseeans searching for new employment can find the latest job openings, receive assistance updating their resumes, and sharpen their job interview skills by visiting the state’s workforce development website.
