Tennessee Unemployment Rate Holds Steady at Historic Low, New Data Shows

New data released by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD) revealed unemployment across the state remained at a historic low in April. The record-low rate of 3.2 percent, set in March, held steady into April, according to the department.

Unemployment across the nation also remained unchanged in April at 3.6 percent, according to most recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The number of unemployed persons in the nation in April was 5.9 million. One year ago, the national unemployment rate came in at 6 percent.

The April 2022 rate for Tennessee is 1.6 percentage points lower than it was one year ago. In April 2020, unemployment in Tennessee reached its highest level ever at 15.9 percent. Two years later, the rate is 12.7 percentage points lower than it was during the height of pandemic-related business closures, TDLWD notes.

The number of Tennesseans in the workforce also hit new highs in April, according to the department. Statewide, the seasonally adjusted civilian workforce grew to 3,388,426 from March’s total of 3,370,646. The number of Tennesseans employed came in at 3,278,825, compared to 3,261,628 for the previous month.

Data shows that employers across the state added 7,700 non-farm jobs between March and April. The leisure and hospitality sector saw the largest number of new positions. The professional and business services sector had the next biggest increase in jobs, followed by the mining, logging, and construction sector.

Over the last 12 months, the state’s employers added 145,600 non-farm jobs, data further shows. The leisure and hospitality sector created the largest percentage of those jobs, followed by the trade, transportation, and utilities sector and the professional and business services sector.

The state of Tennessee will release county unemployment data for April 2022 on Thursday, May 26th, 2022, according to TDLWD.

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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.

 

 

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2 Thoughts to “Tennessee Unemployment Rate Holds Steady at Historic Low, New Data Shows”

  1. william delzell

    Are these employment opportunities all for jobs that pay a decent wage and benefits, with opportunities for advancement or just your dead-end subminimum wage jobs that the Southeast is notorious for?

    1. 83ragtop50

      I am sure that these jobs pay a “fair” wage for the skill level required. Hamburger flipping is not rocket science.

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