Unemployment in Tennessee held steady in January, matching the rate from December, according to new data from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD). The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the month came in at 3.7%, while December’s rate was revised to 3.7%.
In a year-to-year comparison, statewide unemployment for January went from 3.2% to 3.7%.
Tennessee continued to outperform the U.S. unemployment rate in January and was three-tenths of a percentage point below the national rate of 4%.
Over the past year, Tennessee employers added 21,500 jobs. Government accounted for the biggest gains, followed by the Mining, Logging, and Construction and the Leisure and Hospitality sectors.
Between December 2024 and January 2025, total nonfarm employment in Tennessee decreased by 10,100 jobs. The largest decreases were in the Private Education and Health Services, Accommodation and Food Services, and the Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities sectors.