Across dozens of industries, the Knoxville Metropolitan Statistical Area has a workforce of more than 420,000 people, according to data from the Knoxville Chamber. The MSA includes 11 counties, including Anderson and Roane and Morgan counties.

And that number is only going to grow in 2023, when the chamber expects 3,000 more positions to be added to the job market. While the local job market and economy are thriving, however, the chamber's experts believe the area could perform even better by attracting desperately needed young professionals and higher salaries.

As the workforce is set to grow, take a look at the companies that employ the most people in East Tennessee.

Covenant Health

Total employees: 11,913

Covenant has been in Knoxville since 1996, and remains the area's top employer from last year, adding about 600 new employees, according to data from the Knox.biz Book of Lists. With five medical centers in the Knoxville area, plus several other clinics, it's easy to see why Covenant retains that top spot on the list.

The health care industry as a whole accounts for more than 12% of the region's workforce, according to chamber data, and is expected to grow by nearly 800 employees (or 1.5%) in 2023.

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Knox County Schools

Total employees: 10,047

Much like Covenant, KCS held its spot from last year, ranking second amongst the area's top employers, adding about 500 employees. The public education system has been around since 1873, and in 2022 hired a new superintendent Dr. Jon Rysewyk.

The educational services industry employs nearly 33,000 people in the Knoxville region, which is almost 8% of the total workforce, according to the chamber. It's expected to add 287 employees next year.

University of Tennessee at Knoxville

Total employees: 9,299

With just a few hundred fewer employees than KCS, UT remains the area's third-largest employer for the second year in a row. The university added about 300 employees, according to the Book of Lists.

UT will need that large workforce, given that it welcomed its largest first-year class in 2022, and the football team's success is bringing even more attention from prospective students.

Y-12 National Security Complex

Total employees: 7,800

After adding about 550 new employees in 2022, Y-12 remains the area's fourth-largest employer for the second year in a row. The security complex has been in Oak Ridge since 1948, and was the area's top employer in 2020.

In October, it was announced that the National Nuclear Security Administration will extend its contract with Consolidated Nuclear Security to operate Y-12  after terminating its contract with a different company.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Total employees: 6,000

ORNL added more than 200 employees, moving up a spot from the area's sixth-largest employer in 2021 to ranking fifth in 2022.

The lab announced in November that it will receive $497 million from the Inflation Reduction Act to fund key science and energy projects that will drive technological innovation.

University of Tennessee Medical Center

Total employees: 5,387

The UT Medical center saw the biggest jump in the rankings, moving from the eighth slot to the sixth, leap-frogging Walmart and Clayton Homes. The medical center added 100 people to the previous year's total.

If you'd like to work there, the medical center is hiring, and is mostly in need of positions that provide bedside care, such as registered nurses, X-ray technicians and surgical technicians. It is hiring for clinical and non-clinical jobs.

A hiring event will be 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Jan. 5 in the Heart Hospital conference room.

Walmart

Total employees: 5,100

The national retail giant saw a significant drop in local employment from 2021, losing almost 1,600 employees in 2022. For that reason, it drops to the seventh-largest employer.

Data from the chamber projects that the retail industry is expected to decrease by about 0.3% in 2023, which equates to losing 137 jobs.

Clayton Homes

Total employees: 5,047

Clayton Homes is another company that dropped in the rankings, moving down from seventh last year to eighth this year. From 2021 to 2022, its employment dropped by about 400 people.

The manufactured home company was founded in East Tennessee in 1966. Kevin Clayton is currently the CEO and the company is owned by Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway.

DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee

Total employees: 5,000

From 2021 to 2022, automotive supplier DENSO added 500 employees, but remains the area's ninth-largest employer. Headquartered in Kariya, Japan, the company has been in East Tennessee since 1988.

In an attempt to reach its goal of being carbon neutral by 2035, the company is investing in solar power throughout the state and broke ground on a solar farm at its Maryville facility.

The Dollywood Company

Total Employees: 4,500

Like DENSO, Dollywood added 500 employees in 2022, and remains in the same spot as it was last year. The Pigeon Forge theme park has been running for almost 40 years and is the area's 10th-largest employer.

If you're looking to get a job at Dollywood, the company offers plenty of perks, including help with child care expenses and free lunch during shifts.

K-VA-T Food Stores (Food City)

Total Employees: 3,800

Rounding out this list is Food City, which added about 400 employees in 2022. The supermarket chain is based in Virginia, but has been in East Tennessee for nearly 70 years.

While the retail industry is projected to see a decline in job growth next year, it still employs the second-largest number of people in the Knoxville region, accounting for 11.9% of the area's workforce.

Silas Sloan covers growth and development in East Tennessee for Knox News. He can be reached at silas.sloan@knoxnews.com. You can follow his work on Twitter @silasloan, or on Instagram @knox.growth. and sign up for the free, weekly Urban Knoxville newsletter. Unlock premium perks and support strong local journalism at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxville jobs: These 11 companies are the top employers