Unemployment is down from last month for Bartlett, Memphis, Shelby County and the U.S. as a whole, according to preliminary data from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
The following numbers are not seasonally adjusted.
- Bartlett: The unemployment rate for last month was 4.1 percent, down from 4.4 percent in October (a 0.3 percent drop) and down from 5.0 when compared to November 2015 (a 0.9 percent drop). In the city’s labor force of 30,450 people, there were 1,240 who didn’t have jobs.
- Memphis: The unemployment rate for last month was 5.8 percent, down from 6.2 percent in October (a drop of 0.4 percent) and down from 6.8 percent in November 2015 (a drop of 1 percent).
- Shelby County: The unemployment rate for last month was 5.3 percent, down from 5.7 percent in October (a drop of 0.4 percent) and down from 6.2 percent in November 2015 (a drop of 0.9 percent).
- Tennessee: The unemployment rate for last month was 4.6 percent, down from 4.8 percent in October (a drop of 0.2 percent) and down from 5.3 percent in November 2015 (a drop of 0.7 percent).
- U.S.: The unemployment rate was 4.4 percent, down from 4.7 percent in October and down from 4.8 percent in November 2015.
The November labor force report also gave some more insights into Shelby County:
- For Shelby County’s 23,440 resident who were unemployed in November, there were 29,469 advertised online job openings.
- Preliminary figures show that the average weekly wage for Shelby County residents in the second quarter of 2016 was $973. This is equivalent to $24.33 per hour or $50,596 per year, assuming a 40-hour week. Shelby County had the fifth highest average weekly wage in the state for that quarter.
See more November information for Tennessee online.
Shelby County job options
As of Dec. 22, the employers with the highest number of job openings advertised online in Shelby County are:
- Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, 1,183
- St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Inc., 233
- Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation, 211
- Shelby County Schools, 153
- Tenet HealthSystem Medical Inc., 98
- Tenet Healthcare Corporation, 91
- Wendy’s International Inc., 91
- Family Dollar Stores Inc., 81
- FedEx Services, 75
- PETCO Animal Supplies Inc., 72
Future TennESSEE jobs
Projections on job growth by industry aren’t available for Shelby County in the November labor force report, but there is data for the state. The industries with the highest 2014-2024 projected growth rates for Tennessee are:
- Management of companies and enterprises, 6.2 percent
- Ambulatory health care services, 3.6 percent
- Professional and business services, 2.9 percent
- Administrative and support services, 2.5 percent
- Professional, scientific and technical services, 2.4 percent
- Transportation equipment manufacturing, 2.2 percent
- Wholesale electronic markets and agents and brokers, 2.1 percent
- Nursing and residential care facilities, 2.1 percent
- Museums, historical sites, and similar institutions, 2.1 percent
- Health and personal care stores, 2.0 percent
Also see the online article “Tennessee’s Hot Jobs to 2024” for more information.
Written by Carolyn Bahm, Express editor. Contact her at (901) 433-9138 or via email to bartlett.editor@journalinc.com.
