Tennessee's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for March 2009 increased to 9.6 percent... 0.6 percentage point higher than the February rate of 9.0 percent.

The United States' unemployment rate for the month of March was 8.5 percent.

The rates released today showed increases in 74 counties, decreases in 19 counties and remained the same in two counties.

Lincoln County registered the state's lowest county unemployment rate at 6.9 percent, down from 7.0 percent in February.

Perry County had the state's highest unemployment rate at 25.4 percent, up from 24.1 in February, followed by Scott County at 18.8 percent, up from 18.0 percent in February.

Knox County had the state's lowest major metropolitan rate of 7.3 percent, up 0.2 percentage point from the February rate.

Davidson County was 7.9 percent, up 0.4 from the previous month.

Hamilton County was at 8.0 percent, up 0.1 percentage point from the February rate.

Shelby County was 8.9 percent, up from the February rate of 8.5 percent.