Tag Archives: Unemployment

Unemployment dropped in every Tennessee county in February, but three Upper Cumberland counties ended February among the state’s ten highest unemployment rates. Cumberland and Pickett Counties both tallied 4.1 percent unemployment rates in February while Clay County reported a 3.9 percent rate. Cumberland County saw its rate decrease some 1.1 percent from January to February. Both Clay and Pickett saw ... Read More »

November unemployment rates in Clay, Pickett and Van Buren Counties among the ten highest in the state. Unemployment stood at 4.7 percent last month in Clay and Pickett Counties, 4.5 percent in Van Buren County. That’s a drop of 1.5 percent from the October rate. Putnam County unemployment fell 0.3 percent in November to 3.5 percent. That’s a slight rise ... Read More »

Unemployment dropped across the Upper Cumberland during March, following a statewide trend. Cumberland County reported the largest drop in the region, according to state data. Unemployment fell some 1.4 percent 3.7 percent. Clay County’s unemployment rate the highest in the Upper Cumberland at some 4.6 percent. That is down 0.8 percent over the February number. Clay County’s rate is the ... Read More »

Upper Cumberland residents who have been laid off have 10 days left to enroll for free health care. Tennessee Healthcare Campaign Volunteer Outreach Coordinator Thomas Savage said if you collected unemployment for one week in 2021 you are eligible. Savage said people do not need to wait to decide on healthcare while the pandemic continues. “They can be laid off ... Read More »

Cookeville City Council approved a resolution conveying a portion of land off of Tennessee Avenue to the Industrial Development Board Thursday night. The same parcel of land received a rezoning approval earlier in the meeting to heavy manufacturing. A concrete company is interested in building in the park. Cookeville Economic Development Coordinator Melinda Keifer said the IDB would facilitate the ... Read More »

The Clay County Chamber of Commerce has started a hiring program to directly connect employers with prospective workers. Director Doug Young said he developed the idea with the goal to decrease high unemployment rates in the county. “Come by the chamber and fill out a generic application, and then what we will do is scan that application and provide it ... Read More »

The Upper Cumberland saw minimal changes in unemployment numbers for the month of May. The Department of Labor and Workforce Development reported just five counties about the five percent mark. Clay County remains the highest unemployment rate of 5.5 percent but only increased 0.1 percent from April. Pickett County saw the highest increase in the region from April to May. ... Read More »

Governor Bill Lee announced Tuesday that Tennessee would end all federally funded pandemic unemployment compensation programs, and Upper Cumberland workforce agencies are expecting to see an increase in activity. Becky Hull, Executive Director for the Upper Cumberland Local Workforce Development Board, said they have been trying to fill a large number of job openings since businesses started opening back up. ... Read More »

State Representative John Mark Windle said reforms to Tennessee’s unemployment system will be a top priority heading into the next legislative session. Windle said there is room to improve both compensation and long-term unemployment in the state. Windle said he believes a public service program could be implemented for Tennesseans that cannot find employment. “Show up at a grade school ... Read More »

The Upper Cumberland followed the statewide trend of unemployment rates slightly increasing for the month of March. The Department of Labor and Workforce Development reported increases in all 14 counties in the region. Clay County has the highest rate at seven percent, an uptick by o.1 percent compared to last month. Van Buren County saw the highest jump by 1.1 ... Read More »