Tennessee’s unemployment rate hit 5.3% among residents aged 16 and 65 years old in 2021. That’s 179,568 people out of the 6,859,497 living in Tennessee at the time, according to data U.S. Census Bureau data obtained on Oct. 26, 2023.
The unemployment rate in Tennessee has remained fairly stable compared to the 5.3% registered in 2020.
The percentage of people unemployed in Tennessee was nearly equal to the national unemployment rate of 5.5%.
Of the 3,219,713 people who had a job during that time, 18,573 were employed in the Armed Forces and 3,201,140 belonged to the civilian labor force.
Employment Status in Tennessee During 2021
| Employment status | Number of people | Percentage of population |
|---|---|---|
| Unemployed | 179,568 | 5.3% |
| Employed | 3,219,713 | 94.7% |
| Employed in civilian labor force | 3,201,140 | 94.2% |
| Employed in armed forces | 18,573 | 0.5% |
