Newly released data from the Department of Labor and Workforce Development documented unemployment rates below 5% in each of Tennessee’s 95 counties in March.
Hamilton County saw a slight uptick from February's rate of 2.7% to March's current rate of 2.9%, though it remains consistent with March, 2023 unemployment rate of 3.0%.
County unemployment rates across the state for the month range from 2.2% to 4.6%. During the month, the jobless number decreased in 12 counties across the state. Ten counties recorded rates that did not change from month to month, while 73 counties did see a slight uptick in their unemployment levels.
Williamson and Moore counties both had rates of 2.2% in March. For Williamson County, that represented an uptick of just 0.1 of a percentage point when compared with February’s statistic. In Moore County, unemployment increased by 0.3 of a percentage point during the month.
Clay County had Tennessee’s highest unemployment rate in March. At 4.6%, the county’s rate jumped up by 0.6 of a percentage point. Lauderdale County had the second-highest unemployment rate for the month at 4.5%, a slight increase of 0.1 of a percentage point.
A complete analysis of Tennessee’s county unemployment data for March 2024 is available here.
As reported on April 18, Tennessee’s statewide unemployment rate for March came in at 3.2%, a 0.1 of a percentage point drop when compared with the previous month. The statewide rate is adjusted to consider seasonal impacts on employment, while county unemployment rates are not adjusted.
Many school districts across the Volunteer State have less than a month before classes end for the year. May is Youth Employment Month in Tennessee, and this year, TDLWD is working to find thousands of young Tennesseans jobs through the Youth Employment Program, or YEP.
Youths ages 14-24 can work year-round and potentially earn up to $4,000. Before school is out for the summer, the state encourages all young people to say Y-E-P to a J-O-B. Anyone interested in securing a good-paying job that could lead to new connections and career exploration can start by going to YEPTN.com.