Nashville, TN – Holiday employment that ended at the start of the new year is one of the leading factors that caused an increase in county unemployment rates across Tennessee in January 2024. While statewide unemployment numbers are adjusted to consider the impacts of seasonal labor, county unemployment rates are not adjusted.
According to new data released by the TennesseeDepartment of Labor and Workforce Development, unemployment increased in ninety-three of the state’s 95 counties during January. Unemployment decreased in Fayette County during the month and remained the same in Hardeman County.
Unemployment rates were less than 5% in 86 counties across the state, 5% or greater in the remaining nine counties, and less than 10% in the remaining nine counties.
Montgomery County’s unemployment rate in January was 3.9 percent, a rise of 0.5 percent from December’s 3.4 percent.
Williamson County recorded the state’s lowest unemployment rate in January at 2.5%, which was an increase of 0.2 of a percentage point from December’s rate of 2.3%.
Moore County, Robertson County, Rutherford County, and Cheatham County had the next lowest rate of 2.7%, followed by Sumner County, Wilson County, Dickson County, Davidson County, and Macon County, which all had a rate of 2.8% for the month.
In January, Meigs County, Perry County, and Cocke County each had Tennessee’s highest unemployment rate: 5.7%. For Meigs County, that was an increase of 1 percentage point. In Perry County, the rate increased by 1.6 percentage points. January’s rate inched up 2.1 percentage points in Cocke County.
As reported on February 29th, Tennessee’s statewide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for January increased 0.1 of a percentage point to 3.5%.
Nationally, seasonally-adjusted unemployment remained unchanged between December and January at 3.7%.
Job seekers can find a variety of services online and at no cost. From a virtual American Job Center to information on adult education programs to the Tennessee Office of Reentry, it is all available at TNWorkReady.com.
