The Nashville area's unemployment rate fell 20 basis points in March,  clocking in at 9.5 percent, as businesses hired more than 6,300 people.

That growth amounted to 0.9 percent of February's total employment base and was spread across the region. None of the 13 counties in the broader MSA lost jobs, while Davidson County added more than 2,500 positions, Rutherford County more than 1,000 and Williamson County about 700.

March's gains were more than double those of the previous two months and outpaced by about 750 the number of people entering the work force. Almost 6,000 people returned to the labor force in March – double the amount from January and February combined – suggesting a rise in  consumers' confidence in the economy.

Year to date, Middle Tennessee companies have added almost 9,000 jobs. That has put a meaningful dent in jobless rates: In Brentwood, that number has dropped from 7.4 percent at the end of 2009 to 6.6 percent. In La Vergne, the number has fallen from 11.3 percent to 10.4 percent.

But not every city is benefiting equally. The rate in Nashville proper has only come down slightly and in both Murfreesboro and Hendersonville, it has risen year to date.