Monroe County's unemployment rate dropped slightly for the month of November, falling from 16 percent in October down to 15.9, according to the latest report from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

The latest jobless figures from the state indicate 3,000 people out of the county's 18,840-person workforce were unemployed during the November reporting period.    
Out of 95 counties in Tennessee, Monroe County currently has the ninth-worst unemployment rate.    
Tennessee's unemployment rate for November was 10.3 percent, down 0.2 percentage points from the October rate of 10.5 percent.  The United States' unemployment rate for the month of November was 10 percent.

County non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rates for November show that the rate decreased in 50 counties, increased in 36, and remained the same in nine counties.
Lincoln County registered the state's lowest county unemployment rate at 6.7 percent, down 0.2 percentage points from its October rate.  Lauderdale County had the state's highest unemployment rate at 18.6 percent, down 0.2 percentage points from the October rate, followed by Haywood County at 18 percent, up from 17.9 percent in October.

Knox County had the state's lowest major metropolitan rate of 7.7 percent, down 0.1 percentage points from the October rate.  Hamilton County was at 8.5 percent, down 0.2 percentage points from the October rate.  Davidson County was 8.8 percent, down 0.1 percentage points from the previous month, and Shelby County was 10.0 percent, down 0.1 percentage points from the October rate.
The county's unemployment rate peaked at 18.6 percent in June. Since that time, manufacturers like JTEKT and MasterCraft have had job callbacks.