After a tepid May, Middle Tennessee's job growth clocked in last month at 7,360, almost keeping pace with the growth in the labor force. As a result, the Nashville-area unemployment rate ticked higher to 9.0 percent.

The Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development said area companies grew their workforce by a little more than 1 percent. They finished the second quarter having added about 19,500 jobs.

Davidson County's employment base grew by 2,970 but almost 4,000 people joined the workforce. That lifted its jobless rate 20 basis point to 9.1 percent. A similar dynamic existed in Rutherford County, but both Williamson and Sumner counties posted lower unemployment rates due to slower labor force growth.

Since the beginning of 2010, local employers have added more than 28,000 jobs, outpacing additions to the labor force by about 2.5 percent.