Hamilton County's unemployment rate in December remained unchanged at 7.3 percent.

The Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development said Davidson County's rate of 5.7 percent was the lowest of the state's major metropolitan areas. Davidson's rate in November was 5.8 percent.

Knox County's December rate was 5.7 percent, down from 5.8 percent the preceding month, while Shelby County had a rate of 9.1 percent, a decline from 9.4 percent the previous month.

Tennessee's unemployment rate for December was 7.8 percent, three-tenths of a percent lower than November's revised rate.

The national unemployment rate for December was 6.7 percent, down three-tenths of a percent from November.