MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -
The economic news for two Middle Tennessee counties is good considering the difficulty many areas are facing.
Williamson and Rutherford counties rank third and fourth respectively when it comes to growth of employment.
The rankings come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The federal agency compared employment and wages from 322 counties nationwide.
While nationally employment grew by 1.4%, employment growth in Williamson County grew by 4.3% and employment growth grew by 4% in Rutherford County.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics used the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages program to determine each county's employment growth.
The data for the program comes from reports every employer subject to unemployment insurance laws must submit. That is 9.2 million employer reports on 131.3 million full and part-time workers.
Rutherford County's Chamber of Commerce said aggressively marketing the county to businesses and the county's business environment has helped make the county a destination for industry.
"We get in front of decision makers and make it known that Rutherford County is indeed open for business," Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce President Paul Latture, III said. "I think the different diversity of what our city's have to offer whether it is La Vergne, Smyrna, Eagleville or Murfreesboro."
Latture said the county government has also made Rutherford County attractive to businesses. Convincing a new employer to open up shop in a community is a competitive undertaking.
"It means a great deal especially if you have lived here all your life or had a family business for example," Latture said. "We have a good solid tax base here. The economic impact of each job has a rollover effect into the economy in buying goods and services or making deposits in banks."
It also impacts the region of Middle Tennessee as a whole.
"Certainly if there is something good that happens in the region outside of Rutherford County it is good or if it happens within Rutherford County its good for the region," he said.
Life Care Center of Hickory Woods is a skilled nursing rehabilitation facility. It opened on Murfreesboro Pike in December 2011.
The company employs 200 full and part time employees.
"We had never been branded in Metro Nashville," Director of Business Development Tami Gray said. "We have 12 large hospitals in a 23 mile radius and nothing really like what we have here in the area."
Since opening, the facility has exceeded expectations when it comes to the number of patients cared for at the location.
According to Life Care Centers of America's Web site, the company operates more than 200 skilled nursing homes, assisted living, retirement, home care and Alzheimer's centers in 28 states, including in Hawaii.
"It has been incredible," Gray said. "We are about 30 over budgeted census and we are growing at a rapid pace."
Gray said Rutherford County has a lot to offer employees that makes it an attractive place for businesses to locate.
"Rutherford County is a great place to live," Gray said. "I live there so I am excited that Life Care chose this area."
Life Care is planning to its presence in Rutherford County. The skilled nursing rehabilitation facility can employ up to 250 employees when the facility is at capacity.
The company is also planning to build an assisted living facility next to the current building. When the project is complete it will employ around 100 employees. It is set to be complete within two years.
"With companies like ours we are always hiring good nursing staff and also great therapists," Gray said.
Kern County, California was listed as having the most employment growth. The county grew by 5.3% when compared to 1.4% nationally.
The natural resource and mining industry there had the largest job growth. The industry added 8,896 from December 2010 to December 2011.
