Counties with the highest unemployment in Tennessee
Counties with the highest unemployment in Tennessee
While today's unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.
Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Tennessee using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in February 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.
Experts are mixed in their views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession.
The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.
But as of March 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.8%—down slightly from the previous month. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2% in North Dakota to 5.3% in California.
Read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Tennessee.
#50. Gibson County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,814 people (647 unemployed)
#49. Carter County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 24,372 people (742 unemployed)
#48. Hamblen County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 28,199 people (837 unemployed)
#47. Sullivan County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 69,391 people (2,071 unemployed)
#46. Sequatchie County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,340 people (195 unemployed)
#45. Union County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,905 people (248 unemployed)
#44. Grainger County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,822 people (309 unemployed)
#43. Obion County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,078 people (409 unemployed)
#42. Montgomery County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 90,766 people (2,855 unemployed)
#41. Haywood County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 2.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,423 people (267 unemployed)
#40. Hardin County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,158 people (330 unemployed)
#39. Carroll County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,788 people (374 unemployed)
#38. Henderson County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,859 people (382 unemployed)
#37. Dyer County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,009 people (537 unemployed)
#36. Roane County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 24,039 people (773 unemployed)
#35. Tipton County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 27,327 people (877 unemployed)
#34. Benton County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,875 people (229 unemployed)
#33. Morgan County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,951 people (260 unemployed)
#32. Overton County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,248 people (341 unemployed)
#31. Hawkins County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 23,373 people (764 unemployed)
#30. Van Buren County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,127 people (73 unemployed)
#29. Wayne County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,601 people (223 unemployed)
#28. Henry County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,627 people (460 unemployed)
#27. McMinn County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,192 people (710 unemployed)
#26. Perry County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 2.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,791 people (97 unemployed)
#25. Grundy County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,202 people (182 unemployed)
#24. DeKalb County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,734 people (270 unemployed)
#23. Claiborne County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,905 people (448 unemployed)
#22. Rhea County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,693 people (479 unemployed)
#21. Campbell County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,091 people (533 unemployed)
#20. Greene County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 28,936 people (1,017 unemployed)
#19. Lake County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,617 people (58 unemployed)
#18. Unicoi County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,210 people (263 unemployed)
#17. Hardeman County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,871 people (318 unemployed)
#16. Jefferson County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 25,221 people (909 unemployed)
#15. Decatur County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,369 people (163 unemployed)
#14. Jackson County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,815 people (180 unemployed)
#13. Scott County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,147 people (299 unemployed)
#12. Shelby County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 430,534 people (15,950 unemployed)
#11. Hancock County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,340 people (90 unemployed)
#10. Clay County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,859 people (112 unemployed)
#9. Sevier County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 55,241 people (2,166 unemployed)
#8. McNairy County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,349 people (330 unemployed)
#7. Pickett County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,065 people (85 unemployed)
#6. Houston County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,254 people (132 unemployed)
#5. Cumberland County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 24,054 people (989 unemployed)
#4. Meigs County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,824 people (202 unemployed)
#3. Lauderdale County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,324 people (409 unemployed)
#2. Bledsoe County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,577 people (204 unemployed)
#1. Cocke County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,794 people (700 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
