NASHVILLE (December 2022) — The unemployment percentage declined in the tri-county area of Carroll, Henry, and Weakley counties for December 2022 compared to November 2022.
The tri-county area is indicative of the national unemployment rate, which is experiencing the lowest unemployment rate in 50 years at 3.5 percent.
Carroll County had a rate of 3.6 percent in December compared to 3.9 in November. From a labor force of 10,897, a total of 10,501 were employed and 396 were unemployed. Just for comparison, in December 2000 (22 years earlier), Carroll’s unemployment rate was 11.8 percent, with 11,630 in the labor force and 10,260 employed.
Henry County had a rate of 3.3 percent in December 2022, compared to 3.5 in November. From a labor force of 13,738, a total of 13,287 were employed and 451 were unemployed.
By comparison to December 2000, Henry County had a rate of 5.1 percent.
Weakley County had a rate of 2.8 percent in December 2022, compared to 2.8 one month earlier. From a labor force of 15,091, there were 14,674 employed and 417 unemployed. In December 2000, the rate was 4.2 percent from a labor force of 15,670.

Nearly every county in Tennessee ended 2022 with lower unemployment rates, according to the December 2022 data released by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
Eighty-nine of the state’s 95 counties reported rates that decreased in December. Three counties experienced steady unemployment during the month, while unemployment increased in the remaining three counties.
Williamson County led the state with the lowest unemployment rate. At 2.1%, the county’s rate dropped 0.4 of a percentage point from the revised November rate.
Cheatham, Moore, and Wilson counties had the next lowest rate in the state at 2.2%. In Cheatham and Moore counties, the December rate dropped 0.3 of a percentage point when compared to the previous month. Wilson County’s rate was down 0.4 of a percentage point.
Bledsoe County’s rate was the highest in the state, but at 5.3%, unemployment in the county did drop by 0.1 of a percentage point in December.
With a rate of 4.8%, Perry County had the next highest unemployment for the month. Its rate was down 0.2 of a percentage point when compared to the previous month’s rate. Lake County’s unemployment ranked next on the list at 4.7%, down from a rate of 4.8% in November.
In West Tennessee, the counties with the highest unemployment rates were Lake, Lauderdale, Haywood, McNairy.