TAZEWELL, Tenn. — Tennessee’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for August 2008 has been released and shows the state had a jobless rate of 6.6 percent, 0.2 percentage points lower than the July revised rate of 6.8 percent.

Claiborne County’s unemployment rate has decreased nearly one percentage point. The labor force is 12,970 in Claiborne County with 11,970 not working and those not working totaled 1,000 for an unemployment rate of 7.7 percent a -0.9 percent change from July’s jobless of 8.6 percent.

County non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rates for August 2008, show that 78 counties decreased. The rate increased in 8 counties and remained the same in 9 counties.

Williamson County registered the state’s lowest county unemployment rate at 4.7 percent, up 0.1 from the July rate of 4.6 percent. Perry County had the state’s highest at 16.2 percent, down 3.3 from the July rate of 19.5, followed by Lauderdale County at 12.5 percent, down from 14.7 in July.

Knox County had the state’s lowest major metropolitan county rate at 5.0 percent, down 0.5 percentage point from the July rate of 5.5 percent. Davidson County’s rate increased to 5.6 percent, up 0.1 from the July rate of 5.5 percent. Hamilton County was at 6.1 percent, the same as July, and Shelby County was 7.2 percent, down 0.1 from the July rate of 7.3 percent.

C.J. Harte is a Correspondent for the Daily News. He can be reached via e-mail at charte@middlesborodailynews.com.