Employment hit an eight-month high in Kingsport during April as employers added 230 jobs. The unemployment rate dropped 0.8 percent from March’s total to 10.5 percent. At month’s end the total number of jobs in the city was 17,200 – 886 fewer than during the third quarter 2008, just before the recession imploded the local jobs market. The current number of Model City resident who are unemployed – 2,169 – is the highest number this decade.

Employment also picked up in Johnson City where the jobless rate dropped 0.2 percent to 8.9 percent. Employment was at a seven month high there – 29,290 jobs.

Bristol didn’t fare as well. Unemployment increased 0.2 percent to 9 percent. A total of 11,540 people had jobs in Bristol last month.

County non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rates for April show that the rate decreased in 89 counties, increased in three counties and remained the same in three counties.

Lincoln County registered the state’s lowest county unemployment rate at 7.1 percent, down from 7.4 percent in March. Scott County had the state’s highest unemployment rate at 20.3 percent, up from 19.8 in March, followed by Marshall County at 17.3 percent, down from 18.4 percent in March.

Knox County had the state’s lowest major metropolitan rate of 8.2 percent, unchanged from March. Davidson County was 9.0 percent, down from 9.1 in March. Hamilton County was at 9.0 percent, down from 9.4 in March, and Shelby County was 10.3 percent, down from 10.5 in March.

Hawkins Co. had the highest jobless rate – 9.8 percent, followed by Sullivan Co. – 9.1 percent and Washing Co. – 8.9 percent. The unemployment rate declined from March in all three counties.

Unemployment rates also declined in the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA MSA – 9.2 percent and 9.5 percent in the Johnson City MSA.

Unadjusted data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for April show hiring increasing in four of ten jobs sectors in the Kingsport-Bristol MSA and five sectors in the Johnson City MSA. Last month hiring was up in seven sectors in Kingsport-Bristol and five in Bristol.

Job sectors showing increases during April in the Kingsport-Bristol MSA include:

- Mining, Logging and Construction.

- Personal and Business Services.

- Leisure and Hospitality.

- Government.

The largest number of new jobs showed up in the Leisure and Hospital sector. The increase in government jobs can be attributed to hiring by the Census Bureau as that organization moves into the most labor-intensive portion of its task.

Improving job sectors in the Johnson City MSA are:

- Mining, Logging and Construction.

- Professional and Business Services.

- Education and Health Services.

- Leisure and Hospitality.

- Government.

The Leisure and Hospitality Sector added more jobs than the other gaining Johnson City sectors.

Tennessee’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for April was 10.5 percent, down from the March rate of 10.6 percent. The United States unemployment rate for the month of April was 9.9 percent.

The full jobs report for Tennessee can be found at www.tennessee.gov/labor-wfd/labor_figures/april2010county.pdf

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