Rise in TN employment encouraging to job seekers - WFXG FOX54 Augusta - Your News One Hour Earlier

Rise in TN employment encouraging to job seekers

The state's newest jobs report shows that the unemployment rate is continuing to go down in Tennessee.

The Tennessee Department of Labor reported that there are now 36,400 more people working than there were this time last year.

For many in the state like Akilah Henley, a long spell of unemployment may be coming to an end.

"I'm excited. I've been unemployed for a while now," Henley said.

When Channel 4 met Henley, she was at a Nashville jobs center preparing for an interview the following morning. She's been out of work since she was laid off from a job at ITT Tech.

"My position was terminated due to low enrollment," Henley said.

The latest Tennessee Economic Analysis indicated that the number of employed persons in the state is at the highest since March 2008.

Tennessee's unemployment rate decreased from 8.5 percent to 7.6 percent in the last year.

While the employment numbers are improving in Tennessee, there are still more than 238,000 people out of work. Some, like Sheila Moore, have been looking for work for a long time.

"I worked in medical records for 16 years," Moore said.

She was laid off when the hospital where she worked transitioned to electronic medical records. She's had a few prospects, and isn't giving up.

"I'm getting some feedback. Good response. So I'm very, very hopeful," Moore said.

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