Tennessee’s statewide unemployment rate held steady at 3.3% in May, according to newly released data from the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. That number is unchanged from the state’s unemployment rate in April.

While the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate did not change in the month-to-month comparison, it was just 0.1% higher than the May 2022 rate of 3.2%, which is the state’s all-time lowest jobless number.

The latest statistics show Tennessee employers added 2,700 jobs between April and May. The largest increases occurred in the health care and social assistance sector. The next largest increase was in the arts, entertainment and recreation sector, followed by the local government sector.

When comparing May 2022 to May 2023, nonfarm employment across the state increased by 75,000 jobs. The education and health services sector created the most jobs during that time. The leisure and hospitality sector created the second-largest number of jobs, followed by the government sector.

Seasonally adjusted unemployment increased nationally in May to 3.7%, an increase of 0.3% from the previous month’s rate. In the year-to-year comparison, the United States unemployment rate is up 0.1% from the May 2022 statistic.

Agricultural Enterprise Fund taking applications

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture is accepting applications from agricultural, food, and forestry businesses to receive cost-share funding through its Agricultural Enterprise Fund program.

Grants are awarded to starting or expanding businesses in Tennessee that demonstrate a strong potential for impact on local farm income, access to markets, increased capacity or agricultural innovation.

The application for the AEF program can be found online at agriculture.tn.gov/AEF/AEF_Application/Create, and the deadline to apply is July 10. Businesses must include proof of financing and a business plan with their application for it to be considered.

In total, the Agricultural Enterprise Fund has awarded more than $8.4 million in funding to Tennessee businesses, leading to more than $122 million in private investments from agriculture and forest-product business development since the program’s launch in 2017.

Physician survey: Trust in leadership lacking

Barely half of physicians trust that their organization’s leaders are honest, transparent and making good decisions for patients and the organization, according to a new survey from national health care strategic communications consultancy Jarrard Inc.

The growing physician shortage and increasing burnout are well documented. The Jarrard research digs deeper to uncover how physicians feel about the leadership teams making the operational and financial decisions that affect the clinical workforce – decisions that either address or contribute to burnout.

The survey asked:

• Do physicians trust that their leadership teams are making good decisions for patients and the organization?

• Who do physicians trust most within their organization?

• How much loyalty do physicians feel toward their team and their organization?

• What do physicians want to see from leadership teams to build trust?

The findings fall into three themes and demonstrate a marked gap between physicians and health care executives, which leaves provider organizations vulnerable to physicians leaving due to ongoing burnout or pursuit of a work environment where they feel more engaged.

Regarding the trust gap, only 36% of physicians at not-for-profit organizations agree that their leaders are honest and transparent.

With the engagement gap, barely six in 10 physicians agree that their organization’s leaders are doing a good job supporting them.

And across the gender gap, only 42% of female physicians surveyed say they have a lot or a great deal of trust that their leaders are honest and transparent, compared to 55% of male peers.

Full survey results

Stampli to expand Nashville footprint

Stampli, the AI-powered accounts payable solution, announced it will significantly increase its workforce in downtown Nashville, where the number of employees has already more than doubled in the past 18 months.

Stampli opened its downtown Nashville office in December 2020 and has since expanded.

“Our local workforce grew from 35 at the end of 2021 to 75 today, and we expect to reach at least 100 workers in Nashville by the end of this year,” says Eyal Feldman, CEO and co-founder of Stampli.

Stampli, headquartered in Mountain View, California, intends to add more than 90 sales, support and customer success team members by the end of 2023 alone. Many of those hires will be based in Nashville.

Stampli is hiring sales development representatives, account executives, customer support and customer success representatives in Nashville. Those jobs have competitive salaries as well as stock options, health care, 401(k), opportunities for internal promotions, free snacks, catered meals, happy hours and more.

Beyond AP, Stampli offers a suite of integrated products that extend the same levels of efficiency, visibility and control to direct payments (check, ACH and credit card), physical and virtual credit card program, vendor management and more.

Information

Garth, TuneIn team for The BIG 615

TuneIn, a provider of live audio, has launched The BIG 615 radio station from Garth Brooks’ SEVENS Radio Network.

“I believe that country music listeners want to hear the latest from George Strait followed by the latest from Luke Combs. The latest from Ashley McBryde followed by the latest from The Chicks,” Brooks says.

Fans around the world can stream The BIG 615 for free only on TuneIn.

Storme Warren will be the official voice of The BIG 615. Warren will be joined by guest hosts on occasion, including Brooks and other industry stars.

SilverSneakers sponsors National Senior Games

SilverSneakers by Tivity Health, the nation’s leader in senior community fitness and wellness, will sponsor the 2023 National Senior Games, presented by Humana, July 7-18, 2023, in Pittsburgh.

More than 11,500 athletes aged 50 and over will participate in a 21-sport, biennial competition with attendees from all 50 states. SilverSneakers is a fitness program offered through more than 70 Medicare Advantage plans, and many SilverSneakers members will be competing in the 2023 games.

“The National Senior Games is the pinnacle of friendly competition, athleticism and camaraderie,” says Caroline Khalil, chief operating officer, Tivity Health.

“We are proud to sponsor this year’s games and support senior athletes across the country, including many SilverSneakers members who are competing. They inspire us and others across the country by demonstrating the importance of movement as part of healthy aging.”

As part of its commitment to fitness for older adults, SilverSneakers offers members a network of up to 22,000 fitness locations, along with community-based options. Members take part in live, instructor-led and virtual classes in a variety of lengths and formats that include strength training, cardio, meditation and stress management.

Vanderbilt, Metro team for Watkins hoops court

Vanderbilt University is collaborating with Pepsi, Hoopbus and Metro Nashville Parks and Recreation to introduce an all-new outdoor basketball court at Watkins Park in North Nashville.

The new court debuted June 15 at the “Hoops and Hope Celebrating Black History and Community” grand opening event, a celebration of the resilience, creativity and hope of the North Nashville community.

The collaboration is part of a broader initiative to promote local community engagement and physical activity throughout the greater Nashville area. Representatives from Vanderbilt University, Pepsi, Hoopbus, Metro Nashville Parks and Recreation and local government were present to commemorate the occasion and speak to the importance of community and wellness.

“We are proud to partner with Vanderbilt University to bring this court to life alongside our friends at Hoopbus and Metro Nashville Parks,” says Cyril Wallace, vice president and general manager of South Division, PepsiCo Beverages North America. “Together, this joint event truly serves as a reminder of the power of collaboration and the importance of preserving history and culture. We hope that this project will inspire and empower local community members of all ages to pursue their dreams.”

The court will honor the legacy of Perry Wallace, the first African American basketball player in the Southeastern Conference. Wallace, who died in 2017, made history when he enrolled at Vanderbilt in 1966 and broke the color barrier in the SEC.

The revamped court will feature a beautiful community mural dedicated to the contributions of North Nashville to local and national civil rights progress and has also been designed to provide a safe and dependable playing surface for community members in the area.

Latitude makes list for legal service providers

Latitude, a U.S.-based flexible legal talent company that specializes in providing former Big Law and in-house attorneys for contract engagements with legal departments and law firms, was named to the 2023 Chambers and Partners global-wide Alternative Legal Service Providers Flexible Legal Staffing Guide.

Headquartered in London, United Kingdom, Chambers and Partners recognizes the best legal talent, firms and services globally. The company’s flexible legal staffing rankings are awarded after rigorous research into the services provided to corporate legal departments and law firms, including speaking directly with clients about the quality of services delivered.

In thoroughly examining Latitude’s flexible legal talent services, Chambers researchers interviewed a number of Latitude’s enterprise clients, including one who commented, “We found their attorney to be high quality and reasonably priced. Their service was excellent, and they are very good value for [the] money. They have been very flexible and very good to deal with.”

The Chambers and Partners distinction comes after the company was named the No. 1 legal recruiter in the United States by readers of the National Law Journal in April.