NASHVILLE (AP) – New state Labor Commissioner Karla Davis says employment growth is keeping Tennessee's jobless rate down from a year ago.

She commented Thursday as the state reported a 9.4 percent unemployment rate for December, unchanged from November. The figure was 10.9 percent in December a year ago.

Davis noted that the state rate has been unchanged since September, and there has been growth over the last year "across a diverse range of industries."

The state said in a news release that there were job gains in December in professional, scientific, and technical services; trade, transportation, and utilities; and general merchandise stores. There were job losses in educational and health services; manufacturing; and mining and construction.

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