Thursday, November 26, 2009 3:43 am

NASHVILLE – Cannon County's unemployment rate increased slightly in the month of October, according to figures released this week by the Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce.

Cannon County had a labor force of 6,390 in October. Of those, 5,680 were employed and 710 unemployed, for a jobless rate of 11.1 percent. The rate in October was 10.7 percent.

In October of 2008, Cannon's unemployment rate was 7.9 percent.

Tennessee’s unemployment rate for October was 10.5 percent, unchanged from the September rate of 10.5 percent. The United States’ unemployment rate for the month of October was 10.2 percent.

County non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rates for October 2009, released today, show that the rate increased in 38 counties, decreased in 42, and remained the same in 15 counties.

Lincoln County registered the state's lowest county unemployment rate at 6.9 percent, unchanged from its September rate. Lauderdale County had the state’s highest unemployment rate at 18.9 percent, up 0.1 from the September rate, followed by Hancock County at 18.0 percent, down from 18.4 percent in September.

Knox County had the state’s lowest major metropolitan rate of 7.8 percent, down 0.3 percentage point from the September rate. Hamilton County was at 8.8 percent, up 0.1 percentage point from the September rate. Davidson County was 8.9 percent, down 0.2 from the previous month, and Shelby County was 10.2 percent, up 0.1 from the September rate.