NASHVILLE-The number of people in Clay County who are in the workforce continues to grow, as does the number of people employed, the latest statistics from the state Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development show. 

The August statistics show the Clay County labor force has grown to 3,077 workers, which includes those workers who are currently unemployed.  The number of people who reside in the county who are working was 2,949 in August, the statistics show. 

Both those numbers are the highest in several years. 

The August unemployment rate for Clay County also dropped to 4.2 percent, down considerably from 6.1 percent in July.

“These are very positive numbers,” said Clay County workforce development committee chair Kevin Donaldson. “It’s very encouraging that the number of people who are in the workforce has been over or near the 3,000 mark for the past 12 months, basically.  It’s also very significant that the number of people who reside in the county and are employed was well over the 2,900 mark in August.

“When you compare the numbers to four years ago in August (2021), the increases are striking,” Donaldson said. 

In August of 2021, the labor force (number of people employed and unemployed) was 2,758.  At that point, the U.S. economy was just coming out of the Covid-era downturn.  The growth of the labor force to 3,077 in August of 2025 represents an 11.6 percent increase. 

The number of people employed in August of 2021 was 2,617.  That number has grown by 12.7 percent in the 48 months since then. 

The number of people who are currently employed has grown slightly more than the number of people who are in the workforce (which includes unemployed workers) in the past four years, Donaldson said.  The jobless rate in August of 2021 was 5.1 percent, very close to the August 2025 rate. 

“The significant number here is that the labor force has grown by close to 12 percent during that time,” Donaldson said. 

“Having over 300 more people in the workforce and employed means we have that many more people earning a living and spending and saving money in our county,” he said.  “That’s key to boosting our local economy.”