Counties with the highest unemployment in Tennessee

2024 ended on a high note, with the unemployment rate relatively unchanged at 4.1%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Jan. 10.

Unemployment rates were higher in November than the prior year in 308 of 389 metro areas, though they dropped in 60 areas and remained unchanged in 21 areas, the BLS reported.

The lion's share of job growth remained in government, social assistance, and health care, with openings in nursing, residential care facilities, and home health care leading employment in the latter sector.

To get a glimpse of regional variations in employment, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Tennessee, using BLS data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in November 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.

Key takeaways: Biden's economic legacy, inauguration day, and immigration's impact on jobs

The latest BLS report highlights the final job figures under the Biden administration, giving the outgoing president a win during his final weeks in office. President Biden highlighted the creation of 16.6 million jobs during his term in a Jan. 11 statement.

"Although I inherited the worst economic crisis in decades with unemployment above 6% when I took office, we've had the lowest average unemployment rate of any administration in 50 years with unemployment at 4.1% as I leave," he said.

Incoming President-elect Donald Trump will inherit a strong economy, with forecasts tracking ongoing growth into 2025. However, uncertainty remains. Trump's proposed tariffs on foreign goods coupled with a sweeping deportation operation may have a significant impact on the economy, accelerating inflation and tamping down job growth, some experts forecast.

"I worry that immigration will be significantly lower than the long-term average of 1.0 million. I worry that tariffs will be universal and lead to a trade war. That would not be good for the economy and earnings," Hugh Johnson, chairman emeritus at Graypoint, told U.S. News.

What does all this mean for middle-class Americans? The unemployment rate is projected to remain stable, only creeping up to 4.3%, according to the Federal Reserve's latest Summary of Economic Projections. Experts suggest paying down mortgages, revisiting investment strategies, and paying attention to taxes before rates possibly shift as Inauguration Day draws close.

The big story: California wildfires still rage

Although Goldman predicts only a "modest drag" on U.S. jobs due to the devastating California wildfires, the situation is still ongoing. Small businesses destroyed by the fires will impact local jobs; in the wake of the fires, a surge in construction and the need for labor and materials might lead to localized shortages and rising costs, impacting several industries.

However, amid political and environmental uncertainty, it's unclear which way the winds will blow. Americans will have to simply wait for the smoke to clear.

To get a better idea of your community's current economy, read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Tennessee.

#50. Grainger County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,923 people (381 unemployed)

#49. Claiborne County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 12,924 people (496 unemployed)

#48. Henry County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,622 people (514 unemployed)

#47. Lawrence County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,643 people (750 unemployed)

#46. Gibson County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,982 people (839 unemployed)

#45. Roane County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 24,328 people (929 unemployed)

#44. Pickett County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,042 people (80 unemployed)

#43. Hardin County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,231 people (403 unemployed)

#42. White County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 12,227 people (473 unemployed)

#41. Obion County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,085 people (511 unemployed)

#40. Weakley County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 2.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,081 people (583 unemployed)

#39. Warren County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 3.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,861 people (655 unemployed)

#38. Monroe County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 20,956 people (813 unemployed)

#37. Montgomery County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 91,298 people (3,579 unemployed)

#36. Jackson County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,822 people (193 unemployed)

#35. Morgan County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,055 people (321 unemployed)

#34. Henderson County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,866 people (479 unemployed)

#33. Marion County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,899 people (510 unemployed)

#32. Union County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,015 people (328 unemployed)

#31. Campbell County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 15,254 people (622 unemployed)

#30. Fayette County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,094 people (782 unemployed)

#29. Hawkins County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 23,470 people (956 unemployed)

#28. Carter County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 24,392 people (1,003 unemployed)

#27. Tipton County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 27,347 people (1,121 unemployed)

#26. Grundy County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,296 people (220 unemployed)

#25. Carroll County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,855 people (492 unemployed)

#24. Cumberland County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 24,383 people (1,034 unemployed)

#23. Sequatchie County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,463 people (275 unemployed)

#22. Benton County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,907 people (297 unemployed)

#21. Scott County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,161 people (352 unemployed)

#20. DeKalb County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,724 people (340 unemployed)

#19. Rhea County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 13,838 people (605 unemployed)

#18. McMinn County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 20,984 people (914 unemployed)

#17. Van Buren County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,199 people (100 unemployed)

#16. Hancock County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 2,378 people (108 unemployed)

#15. Decatur County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,369 people (195 unemployed)

#14. Meigs County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,797 people (217 unemployed)

#13. Haywood County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,488 people (390 unemployed)

#12. Hardeman County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,949 people (411 unemployed)

#11. Greene County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 28,835 people (1,312 unemployed)

#10. Shelby County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 431,446 people (20,047 unemployed)

#9. Perry County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 2.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,773 people (129 unemployed)

#8. Lauderdale County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,249 people (437 unemployed)

#7. Clay County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,933 people (144 unemployed)

#6. Houston County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,227 people (159 unemployed)

#5. Cocke County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,026 people (743 unemployed)

#4. Lake County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,614 people (81 unemployed)

#3. McNairy County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,354 people (442 unemployed)

#2. Bledsoe County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,620 people (248 unemployed)

#1. Unicoi County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,300 people (435 unemployed)

This story features data reporting by Elena Cox, writing by Alizah Salario, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.