Department of Numbers

Chattanooga, Tennessee Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Chattanooga fell 0.1 percentage points in February 2021 to 4.3%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.6 percentage points lower than the Tennessee rate. The unemployment rate in Chattanooga peaked in April 2020 at 13.7% and is now 9.4 percentage points lower. You can also compare Chattanooga unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate February 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
National 6.2% -0.1 +2.7
Tennessee 4.9% -0.2 +1.0
Chattanooga 4.3% -0.1 +1.0
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with February 2021 data as March metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Chattanooga, Tennessee, National

Chattanooga, Tennessee monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Chattanooga, Tennessee Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Chattanooga peaked in April 2020 at 37,519. There are now 25,745 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. Chattanooga employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Chattanooga, Tennessee) is also available.

Unemployed Persons February 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
Chattanooga 11,774 -253 +2,481

Number of Unemployed Persons

Chattanooga, Tennessee Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate		 Tennessee
Unemployment Rate		 Chattanooga
Unemployment Rate		 Chattanooga
Unemployed
March
2021		 6.0% — — —
February
2021		 6.2% 4.9% 4.3% 11,774
January
2021		 6.3% 5.1% 4.4% 12,027
December
2020		 6.7% 5.6% 5.5% 15,833
November
2020		 6.7% 5.6% 4.4% 12,809
October
2020		 6.9% 7.8% 5.8% 16,144
September
2020		 7.8% 7.9% 5.3% 14,642
August
2020		 8.4% 8.1% 6.6% 18,644
July
2020		 10.2% 8.9% 7.8% 21,002
June
2020		 11.1% 9.3% 7.8% 20,978
May
2020		 13.3% 9.6% 9.5% 26,081
April
2020		 14.8% 15.8% 13.7% 37,519

1. Metro area unemployment rates are now seasonally adjusted. The BLS has started publishing smoothed seasonally adjusted metropolitan area data which makes comparisons to state and national data more relevant than the unadjusted numbers. ↩

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