Counties with the highest unemployment in Tennessee

Unemployment rates are rising across U.S. metropolitan areas, provoking alarm across the nation and likely leading to interest rate cuts in September.

As of July, unemployment rates increased in 350 out of 389 U.S. metros areas —including 47 of the 51 largest metros, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

To get a glimpse of regional variations in employment, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Tennessee, using BLS data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in July 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.

The national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 4.3% . Still, it’s up substantially from 3.5% during the same month last year and has climbed to the highest rate since November 2021. By comparison, unemployment rates surged to 10% in October 2009 during the Great Recession, and a full recovery took years. At the height of the brief COVID-19 recession in April 2020, unemployment hit 14.7%.

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The Federal Reserve has shifted its focus from curbing inflation to unemployment, indicating plans to cut interest rates in the coming weeks and months to alleviate economic strain and avoid further job losses.

Since last year, unemployment has spiked in over half of states—a signal often indicating a looming recession, as Piper Sandler Chief Global Economist Nancy Lazar told Business Insider . These jobless rates, paired with layoffs among major U.S. employers like Google and Tesla, have sparked concern among Americans. Minus a major economic blow, economists continue to forecast that the U.S. is tracking toward an incremental slowdown in growth known as a “ soft landing .”

To get a better idea of your community’s current economy, read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Tennessee.

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#50. Gibson County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 21,878 people (855 unemployed)

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#49. Hawkins County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 23,514 people (915 unemployed)

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#48. Carter County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 24,172 people (936 unemployed)

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#47. Roane County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 24,477 people (953 unemployed)

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#46. Pickett County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,094 people (83 unemployed)

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#45. Sequatchie County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,545 people (262 unemployed)

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#44. Haywood County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,311 people (334 unemployed)

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#43. Campbell County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 15,370 people (617 unemployed)

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#42. Fayette County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 18,965 people (753 unemployed)

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#41. Montgomery County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 90,986 people (3,651 unemployed)

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#40. Union County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,111 people (333 unemployed)

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#39. Tipton County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 27,370 people (1,122 unemployed)

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#38. Van Buren County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
— 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,154 people (91 unemployed)

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#37. Decatur County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
— 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,436 people (186 unemployed)

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#36. Wayne County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,750 people (281 unemployed)

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#35. Benton County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,822 people (288 unemployed)

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#34. Unicoi County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,995 people (293 unemployed)

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#33. Giles County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 14,814 people (615 unemployed)

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#32. Cumberland County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 24,496 people (1,038 unemployed)

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#31. Morgan County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,083 people (347 unemployed)

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#30. Carroll County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 11,658 people (507 unemployed)

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#29. Claiborne County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 12,829 people (557 unemployed)

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#28. Marion County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 13,142 people (565 unemployed)

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#27. Warren County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 16,727 people (726 unemployed)

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#26. Jackson County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,753 people (210 unemployed)

| Check out more lists and rankings from across Tennessee →

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#25. Cocke County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 15,283 people (665 unemployed)

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#24. McMinn County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 21,167 people (924 unemployed)

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#23. DeKalb County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,764 people (348 unemployed)

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#22. Hardeman County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 8,917 people (405 unemployed)

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#21. Hardin County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 10,303 people (460 unemployed)

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#20. Lawrence County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 19,442 people (874 unemployed)

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#19. Obion County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
— 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 13,147 people (614 unemployed)

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#18. Lake County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 1,580 people (76 unemployed)

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#17. Perry County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,750 people (136 unemployed)

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#16. Meigs County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 4,836 people (236 unemployed)

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#15. Marshall County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
— 1-month change: Up 1.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 16,002 people (783 unemployed)

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#14. Maury County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
— 1-month change: Up 1.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 2.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 55,931 people (2,748 unemployed)

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#13. Hancock County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,255 people (112 unemployed)

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#12. Shelby County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 435,770 people (21,830 unemployed)

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#11. Grundy County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,145 people (262 unemployed)

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#10. Scott County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,311 people (422 unemployed)

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#9. Lauderdale County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,174 people (464 unemployed)

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#8. Rhea County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 13,303 people (679 unemployed)

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#7. Greene County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 28,971 people (1,486 unemployed)

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#6. Lewis County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
— 1-month change: Up 1.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,725 people (298 unemployed)

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#5. McNairy County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
— 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,250 people (431 unemployed)

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#4. Clay County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,913 people (157 unemployed)

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#3. Houston County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,176 people (176 unemployed)

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#2. Bledsoe County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,506 people (248 unemployed)

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#1. Weakley County

– July unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.2%
— 1-month change: Up 1.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 14,761 people (912 unemployed)

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

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