New data released by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development showed statewide unemployment rates have held steady during the final month of 2018.
The seasonally adjusted statewide unemployment rate for December 2018 was 3.6 percent, which mirrored the rate from the previous month.
While the unemployment rate remained steady, there were fewer available positions for jobs seekers. Total non-farm employment decreased by 5,800 in December.
Even with the decline in jobs during the last month of 2018, year-to-year statistics showed Tennessee employers created 59,100 new positions across the state.
The national unemployment rate increased in December for the first time since June. The United States unemployment rate was 3.9 percent last month, 0.2 of a percentage point higher than it was in November.