Tennessee's unemployment rate increases to 7.9%

May mark represents first rise since November 2010

Tennessee’s unemployment rate for May increased to 7.9 percent, up from the April revised rate of 7.7 percent.

The national unemployment rate for May was 8.2 percent, 0.1 percentage point higher than the April rate.

"Tennessee’s employment change this month is relatively flat with a slight increase in the amount of people re-entering the workforce to look for work,” Karla Davis, labor department commissioner, said in a release. “Even though the unemployment rate had a slight increase, it is the first increase we have seen since November 2010.”