Counties with the highest unemployment rate in Tennessee

Written by:
November 15, 2022
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Counties with the highest unemployment rate in Tennessee

Unemployment rates, while significantly lower than the alarming pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, remain a subject of concern, notably as economic experts bandy around the idea of a potential recession by 2023. The last economic recession—the Great Recession of 2008-2010—sent rates up to 10% as of October 2009. It was not until the spring of 2019 that unemployment finally went down to the same level it sits at now.

As of October of this year, national unemployment is at 3.7%, 0.2% higher than in September. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2.0% in Minnesota, to 4.5% in Illinois and 4.7% in the District of Columbia. Further breakdown by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows yet another county-based spectrum within each state.

To that end, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rate in Tennessee using data from the BLS. Counties are ranked by unemployment rate in September 2022.

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#50. Claiborne County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.1%
- Total labor force: 12,633 (408 unemployed)

#49. Henderson County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 11,586 (370 unemployed)

#48. Lawrence County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -1.0%
- Total labor force: 19,009 (615 unemployed)

#47. Roane County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: 0.0%
- Total labor force: 23,820 (762 unemployed)

#46. Tipton County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 27,693 (875 unemployed)
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#45. DeKalb County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 7,716 (258 unemployed)

#44. Grainger County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.1%
- Total labor force: 9,736 (322 unemployed)

#43. Henry County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: +0.1%
- Total labor force: 13,989 (461 unemployed)

#42. Lewis County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -2.1%
- Total labor force: 5,620 (185 unemployed)

#41. Monroe County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: +0.2%
- Total labor force: 20,694 (675 unemployed)
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#40. Montgomery County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 87,540 (2,926 unemployed)

#39. Morgan County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 7,848 (259 unemployed)

#38. Pickett County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: +0.5%
- Total labor force: 2,130 (70 unemployed)

#37. White County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: 0.0%
- Total labor force: 11,369 (371 unemployed)

#36. Fentress County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: +0.2%
- Total labor force: 7,342 (246 unemployed)
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#35. Greene County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.2%
- Total labor force: 27,708 (935 unemployed)

#34. Jackson County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.2%
- Total labor force: 4,733 (160 unemployed)

#33. Stewart County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.1%
- Total labor force: 5,274 (177 unemployed)

#32. Carroll County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.2%
- Total labor force: 11,112 (384 unemployed)

#31. Dyer County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 15,635 (542 unemployed)
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#30. Hancock County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.8%
- Total labor force: 2,237 (79 unemployed)

#29. Hawkins County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 23,009 (796 unemployed)

#28. Marion County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: +0.1%
- Total labor force: 12,158 (422 unemployed)

#27. Obion County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 11,936 (420 unemployed)

#26. Hardin County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.6%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.2%
- Total labor force: 9,765 (348 unemployed)
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#25. Sequatchie County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.6%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.1%
- Total labor force: 6,101 (221 unemployed)

#24. Warren County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.6%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 16,164 (586 unemployed)

#23. Benton County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 6,620 (248 unemployed)

#22. Campbell County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.2%
- Total labor force: 15,020 (556 unemployed)

#21. McMinn County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.1%
- Total labor force: 20,991 (785 unemployed)
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#20. Unicoi County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 7,050 (264 unemployed)

#19. Cumberland County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: +0.1%
- Total labor force: 22,050 (837 unemployed)

#18. Houston County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -0.2%
- Total labor force: 3,143 (120 unemployed)

#17. Clay County

- Current unemployment rate: 3.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 2,710 (106 unemployed)

#16. Grundy County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 4,994 (201 unemployed)
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#15. Hardeman County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 8,588 (344 unemployed)

#14. Rhea County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.0%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: +0.1%
- Total labor force: 13,752 (551 unemployed)

#13. Meigs County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: +0.2%
- Total labor force: 5,090 (210 unemployed)

#12. Van Buren County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.1%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.2%
- Total labor force: 2,022 (82 unemployed)

#11. Cocke County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.2%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: +0.1%
- Total labor force: 14,354 (597 unemployed)
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#10. Decatur County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 4,148 (179 unemployed)

#9. McNairy County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: +0.1%
- Total labor force: 8,072 (349 unemployed)

#8. Wayne County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.3%
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: +0.8%
- Total labor force: 6,233 (269 unemployed)

#7. Haywood County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.4%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.7%
- Total labor force: 7,386 (327 unemployed)

#6. Scott County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: +0.4%
- Total labor force: 7,928 (359 unemployed)
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#5. Shelby County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.5%
--- 1 month change: -0.8%
--- 1 year change: -1.3%
- Total labor force: 442,367 (19,993 unemployed)

#4. Lake County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: +0.2%
- Total labor force: 1,576 (74 unemployed)

#3. Lauderdale County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.7%
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 9,398 (438 unemployed)

#2. Bledsoe County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.8%
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: +0.7%
- Total labor force: 4,256 (204 unemployed)

#1. Perry County

- Current unemployment rate: 4.9%
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -3.2%
- Total labor force: 2,679 (130 unemployed)
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