March 14, 2025
By: Dwayne Page
Eighty-two of Tennessee’s 95 counties reported unemployment rates below 5% in January including DeKalb County 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).
DeKalb County’s rate for January was at 4.3%, the same as December 2024 but up slightly from 4% in January 2024. The local labor force for January was 7,916. A total of 7,575 were employed and 341 were without work.
In 87 counties, January’s unemployment rates were up compared with December 2024’s rates. Rates remained the same in six counties and decreased in two counties, Cannon and Monroe.
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%, the same as December’s revised rate. The national rate was 4%.
While statewide unemployment rates are adjusted to consider the impacts of seasonal labor, county rates are not.
Career specialists are ready to assist job seekers at American Job Centers across the state at no cost. Find the AJC closest to you.
Older Tennesseans can find meaningful work through the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP). The program serves those who are 55 and older, currently unemployed, and in need of updating their skills. Participants are placed in a paid community service position that matches their personal goals. They receive training while working an average of 20 hours a week. Contact a program in your area and get started today.