Counties with the highest unemployment in Tennessee

Stacker
·10 min read
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.

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.

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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 October 2023, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.9%—little changed from the previous month, and up about 0.2 percentage points from the same time last year. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 1.7% in Maryland to 5.4% in Nevada.

Metros where renters are the most overextended in Tennessee

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 October 2023, 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.

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#50. Henry County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 13,602 people (525 unemployed)

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#49. Dyer County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 16,749 people (656 unemployed)

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#48. Fayette County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 19,065 people (735 unemployed)

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#47. Monroe County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 21,149 people (819 unemployed)

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#46. Roane County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 24,524 people (956 unemployed)

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#45. Carter County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 24,498 people (964 unemployed)

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#44. Lake County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
— 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 1,578 people (63 unemployed)

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#43. Wayne County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,620 people (268 unemployed)

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#42. Polk County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,138 people (283 unemployed)

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#41. Claiborne County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 12,982 people (518 unemployed)

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#40. Unicoi County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,145 people (293 unemployed)

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#39. Giles County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 14,975 people (615 unemployed)

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#38. Montgomery County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 88,861 people (3,684 unemployed)

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#37. Sequatchie County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,270 people (266 unemployed)

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#36. Benton County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 6,772 people (286 unemployed)

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#35. White County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 12,178 people (508 unemployed)

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#34. Franklin County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 19,301 people (804 unemployed)

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#33. Hawkins County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 23,550 people (984 unemployed)

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#32. Tipton County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 27,426 people (1,146 unemployed)

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#31. Jackson County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,866 people (207 unemployed)

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#30. Morgan County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,122 people (353 unemployed)

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#29. Hardin County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 10,167 people (440 unemployed)

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#28. Obion County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 12,991 people (553 unemployed)

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#27. Campbell County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 15,438 people (665 unemployed)

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#26. Marion County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 12,541 people (558 unemployed)

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#25. Cocke County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 14,776 people (651 unemployed)

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#24. Cumberland County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 23,859 people (1,056 unemployed)

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#23. Coffee County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 25,774 people (1,123 unemployed)

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#22. Hardeman County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,993 people (401 unemployed)

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#21. Rhea County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 14,083 people (630 unemployed)

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#20. McMinn County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 21,137 people (944 unemployed)

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#19. Pickett County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,128 people (98 unemployed)

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#18. Houston County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,298 people (153 unemployed)

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#17. DeKalb County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,174 people (373 unemployed)

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#16. Carroll County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 11,838 people (540 unemployed)

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#15. Greene County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 28,608 people (1,319 unemployed)

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#14. Hancock County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,341 people (110 unemployed)

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#13. Clay County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,919 people (137 unemployed)

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#12. Haywood County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 7,499 people (356 unemployed)

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#11. Shelby County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 433,359 people (20,280 unemployed)

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#10. Scott County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,159 people (393 unemployed)

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#9. Decatur County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
— 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,455 people (218 unemployed)

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#8. McNairy County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,667 people (421 unemployed)

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#7. Meigs County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,994 people (268 unemployed)

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#6. Bledsoe County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,566 people (251 unemployed)

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#5. Lauderdale County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,441 people (518 unemployed)

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#4. Grundy County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.6%
— 1-month change: Up 1.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,214 people (290 unemployed)

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#3. Van Buren County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.0%
— 1-month change: Up 1.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 2.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,183 people (132 unemployed)

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#2. Warren County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.5%
— 1-month change: Up 3.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 3.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 17,163 people (1,292 unemployed)

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#1. Perry County

– October unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.9%
— 1-month change: Up 3.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 3.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,835 people (223 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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