Unemployment rates in 90 counties increased from December to January

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

Unemployment rates in 90 counties increased from December to January. Rates decreased in three counties and remained the same in two counties.

Williamson County reported the state’s lowest unemployment rate at 2.7%, which was up one-tenth of a percentage point from its December rate. Cheatham and Wilson counties followed at 2.8.%. That was an increase of one-tenth of a percentage point for both counties.

Perry County had the state’s highest unemployment rate in January at 11.3%, up 6 percentage points from December.

Cocke County recorded the second-highest rate at 6.4%, an increase of 2.1 percentage points. Pickett County followed at 6%, up 1 percentage point from December.

Tennessee’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.5% in January. That rate was down one-tenth of a percentage point from the previous month but is still eight-tenths of a percentage point below the national rate of 4.3%.

Unlike the statewide rate, county rates are not adjusted to account for seasonal impacts on employment.

Copyright 2026 The Upper Cumberland Business Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Other stories you may want to check out:

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.