Unemployment Rates Rise Slightly in Tri-Counties

NASHVILLE — Eighty-two of Tennessee’s 95 counties reported unemployment rates below 5% in January even as most counties saw an uptick in their rates over the previous month, according to newly released data from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD).

In 87 counties, unemployment rates for January were up when compared with December 2024’s rates. Rates remained the same in six counties and decreased in two counties, Cannon and Monroe.

Carroll County reported a rate of 4.6 percent, up from 4 percent in December and 4 percent one year earlier. From a labor force of 12,085, there 2343 11,531 employed and 554 unemployed.

Henry County reported a rate of 4.5 percent, up from 4 percent one month earlier and 4.2 percent one year earlier. From a labor force of 13,044, there were 12,462 employed and 582 unemployed.

Weakley County reported a rate of 4.5 percent, up from 4 percent one month earlier and 3.7 percent one year earlier. From a labor force of 14,033, there were 13,402 employed and 631 unemployed.

Williamson County reported the lowest unemployment rate for the month at 2.8%, the same rate as the previous month. Rutherford and Macon counties followed at 3%. Rutherford’s rate was the same as in December, and Macon’s rate was up one-tenth of a percentage point.

Perry County had Tennessee’s highest unemployment rate at 7.6%, a 2.3 percentage point increase over the previous month.

Pickett and Cocke counties had the next-highest rates at 7%. Pickett’s rate was up 1.9 percentage points over December, and Cocke’s was up 2 percentage points.

Data released last week showed that Tennessee’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in January was 3.7%, which was the same as December’s revised rate. The national rate was 4%.

In the period of December 2024 through January 2025, unemployment rates decreased in two counties, increased in 87 and remained the same in six.