Maria Wilt, center, talks to a recruiter at a job fair expo June 13 in Anaheim, Calif.May unemploymentTennessee – 7.9 percent, up from 7.7 percent in AprilGeorgia – 8.9 percent, unchanged from AprilU.S. average – 8.2 percent, up from 8.1 percent in April
With more unemployed people re-entering the labor market last month, the jobless rate in May edged higher in Tennessee and was unchanged in Georgia, according to employment figures released Thursday.
Unemployment in Tennessee during May rose by two-tenths of a percent from April’s revised level to 7.9 percent, reversing a 22-month-long decline in the state’s jobless rate. In Georgia, the state jobless rate was unchanged at 8.9 percent, the first time in 10 months that the jobless rate has failed to decline.
“We continue to see steady, but sluggish growth in employment so we’re likely to see unemployment rates around these levels for some time,” said Dr. Bill Fox, director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Tennessee. “Jobs are growing, especially in durable manufacturing in Tennessee. But so are the number of people in the workforce.”
Over the past year, Tennessee added 39,100 jobs, or 1.5 percent, including 7,700 jobs in manufacturing and 6,000 jobs in construction. But the Volunteer State suffered an unexpected decline of 1,700 jobs from April to May primarily because of fewer jobs in the hospitality and financial industries.