The July unemployment rate in DeKalb County was up slightly from the June number at 8.2% percent, compared to 7.9 percent for the previous month. The rate is still down from the 8.7 percent rate reported in July, 2014.

DeKalb’s labor force for July was 7,290, with 6,700 employed and 600 out of work. Here’s how the fourteen counties in the Upper Cumberland region ranked for July:

•Clay: 9.7 percent

•Van Buren: 9.1 percent

•Jackson: 8.8 percent

•Fentress: 8.5 percent

•Overton: 8.4 percent

•DeKalb: 8.2 percent

•Pickett: 8.1 percent

•Cumberland: 7.5 percent

•Warren: 7 percent

•Putnam: 7 percent

•White: 6.8 percent

•Smith: 6.4 percent

•Cannon: 6.3 percent

•Macon: 6.1 percent

County unemployment rates for July 2015 show the rates increased in 53 counties, decreased in 21, and remained the same in 21 counties.

Davidson County had the state’s lowest major metropolitan rate in July at 4.9 percent, unchanged from June. Knox County was 5.4 percent in July, up from 5.3 the previous month. The Hamilton County July rate was 6.2 percent, up from 6.1 in June. Shelby County was 7.4 percent in July, up from 7.3 percent the previous month.

Tennessee’s preliminary unemployment rate for July was 5.7 percent, unchanged from the previous month. The U.S. preliminary rate for July was 5.3 percent, also unchanged from the unemployment rate in June.

The state and national unemployment rates are seasonally adjusted while the county unemployment rates are not. Seasonal adjustment is a statistical technique that eliminates the influences of weather, holidays, the opening and closing of schools, and other recurring seasonal events from economic time series.