John Gooch files for unemployment at the Georgia Department of Labor office in Dalton, Ga.March Unemployment in the Chattanooga metro area fell to a non-seasonally adjusted 8.6 percent, down from 9.1 percent in February, according to statistics from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
Chattanooga's rate fell in March to 8.2 percent from 8.7 the prior month, while Cleveland's rate dipped below 10 percent to 9.5 percent. Athens, Tenn.'s unemployment declined the most, down 0.8 percent to 11.5 percent.
Tennessee's overall unemployment, not adjusted for seasonality, fell 0.6 percent to 9.5 percent, compared to a national decrease of 0.3 percent to a 9.2 percent rate.
The U.S. estimates that 14 million Americans remain on unemployment nationwide, while Tennessee has 294,400 collecting benefits.
For more information, pick up a copy of tomorrow's Times Free Press.