Counties with the highest unemployment in Tennessee

Written by:
Stacker
May 3, 2024
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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 March 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 have mixed 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 April 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.9%—up 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.

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#50. Sullivan County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 70,112 people (2,162 unemployed)

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#49. Stewart County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,897 people (191 unemployed)

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#48. Sequatchie County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,417 people (208 unemployed)

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#47. Obion County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,139 people (426 unemployed)

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#46. Gibson County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,878 people (708 unemployed)

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#45. Roane County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 24,329 people (786 unemployed)

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#43. Union County (tie)

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,023 people (267 unemployed)

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#43. Morgan County (tie)

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,021 people (267 unemployed)

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#42. Grainger County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,898 people (328 unemployed)

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#41. Overton County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,228 people (340 unemployed)

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#40. Carroll County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,868 people (397 unemployed)

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#39. Henderson County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,980 people (398 unemployed)

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#38. Fayette County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,963 people (621 unemployed)

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#37. Benton County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,984 people (238 unemployed)

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#36. Polk County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,150 people (243 unemployed)

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#35. Haywood County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,399 people (289 unemployed)

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#34. Henry County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,673 people (470 unemployed)

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#33. Campbell County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,268 people (526 unemployed)

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#32. Dyer County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,031 people (572 unemployed)

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#31. Hawkins County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 23,584 people (803 unemployed)

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#30. Tipton County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 27,374 people (938 unemployed)

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#29. Bradley County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 51,180 people (1,750 unemployed)

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#28. Montgomery County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 91,400 people (3,069 unemployed)

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#27. Jackson County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,829 people (170 unemployed)

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#26. Unicoi County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,133 people (250 unemployed)

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#25. Hardin County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,294 people (356 unemployed)

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#24. Greene County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 29,081 people (1,031 unemployed)

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#23. DeKalb County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,696 people (277 unemployed)

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#22. Claiborne County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,049 people (471 unemployed)

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#21. Rhea County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,813 people (497 unemployed)

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#20. Warren County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,768 people (604 unemployed)

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#19. McMinn County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,269 people (774 unemployed)

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#18. Pickett County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,079 people (77 unemployed)

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#17. Van Buren County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,175 people (80 unemployed)

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#16. Hancock County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,311 people (87 unemployed)

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#15. Perry County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,815 people (107 unemployed)

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#14. Decatur County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,411 people (169 unemployed)

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#13. Grundy County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,183 people (196 unemployed)

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#12. Hardeman County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,864 people (335 unemployed)

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#11. Cumberland County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 24,222 people (938 unemployed)

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#10. Lake County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,593 people (63 unemployed)

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#9. Cocke County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,921 people (592 unemployed)

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#8. Shelby County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 434,122 people (17,574 unemployed)

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#7. Houston County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,222 people (131 unemployed)

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#6. McNairy County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,367 people (351 unemployed)

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#5. Bledsoe County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,552 people (196 unemployed)

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#4. Meigs County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,859 people (211 unemployed)

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#3. Scott County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,248 people (357 unemployed)

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#2. Lauderdale County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,295 people (420 unemployed)

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#1. Clay County

- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 2,874 people (131 unemployed)

This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.

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