County non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rates for October 2010, released last week, show that the rate decreased in 43 counties, increased in 38 counties and remained the same in 14 counties.

Rutherford County’s unemployment rate continues to improve.

The October unemployment rate in the county was 8.1 percent, a 0.1 percent improvement over September and 1.3 percent improvement over October 2009’s 9.4 percent unemployed.

Murfreesboro unemployment level held steady from September to October at 8.6 percent, but has improved year to year from 9.6 percent in October 2009.

The Nashville-Murfreesboro MSA saw its unemployment rate drop 0.1 percent to 8.3 percent in October, which is a full percentage point better than October 2009’s unemployment rate of 9.3 percent.

Lincoln County registered the state's lowest county unemployment rate at 6.1 percent, up from the September rate of 6.0 percent. 

Scott County had the state’s highest unemployment rate at 19 percent, down from 19.8 percent in the previous month, followed by Marshall County at 15.5 percent, down from the September rate of 15.6 percent.

Knox County had the state’s lowest major metropolitan rate of 7 percent, down from 7.1 percent in September. 

Hamilton County was 7.8 percent, unchanged from the previous month. 

Davidson County was 8.7 percent, down from 9.1 percent, and Shelby County was 9.8 percent, up one-tenth of a percentage point from September.