Tennessee – Eighty-two of Tennessee’s 95 counties reported unemployment rates below 5% in January, despite an overall increase in rates across most counties compared to the previous month, according to data from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD).
In January, unemployment rates rose in 87 counties when compared to December 2024. Six counties saw no change in their rates, while two counties, Cannon and Monroe, experienced a decline. Williamson County had the lowest unemployment rate at 2.8%, holding steady from December. Rutherford and Macon counties followed with rates of 3%, with Rutherford’s rate unchanged and Macon’s rate increasing by one-tenth of a percentage point.
Perry County had the highest unemployment rate in the state at 7.6%, a significant 2.3 percentage point increase from the previous month. Pickett and Cocke counties recorded the next highest rates at 7%, with Pickett’s rate rising by 1.9 percentage points and Cocke’s increasing by 2 percentage points.
Statewide, Tennessee’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for January was 3.7%, unchanged from the revised December rate. In comparison, the national unemployment rate stood at 4%. It is important to note that while the statewide unemployment rate accounts for seasonal labor adjustments, county-level rates do not.