State’s unemployment up slightly from January

The state’s unemployment rate was still below the national average of 5.6 percent.

“The February primary helped to better our employment picture this month with the hiring of more than 15,000 temporary election workers,” Labor Department Commissioner James Neeley said.

The agency said there was a big increase in local government jobs, which were up to handle the elections. Educational and health services jobs, and jobs in the leisure and hospitality sector, also were on the rise.

Drops were seen in retail trade, construction, manufacturing and state government jobs.

The Tennessee work force in February was listed at 2.8 million. The Labor Department said 146,500 were out of work.

The February rate of 5 percent was down from the 5.4 percent rate seen in February 2003.

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On the Net:

Labor Department: http://www.state.tn.us/labor-wfd/labor—figures