Department of Numbers

Chattanooga, Tennessee Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Chattanooga fell 0.1 percentage points in March 2023 to 3.1%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.3 percentage points lower than the Tennessee rate. The unemployment rate in Chattanooga peaked in April 2020 at 13.8% and is now 10.7 percentage points lower. You can also compare Chattanooga unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate March 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
National 3.5% -0.1 -0.1
Tennessee 3.4% -0.1 +0.1
Chattanooga 3.1% -0.1 -0.3
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with March 2023 data as April 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 36,466. There are now 27,800 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. Chattanooga employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Chattanooga, Tennessee) is also available.

Unemployed Persons March 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
Chattanooga 8,666 -107 -586

Number of Unemployed Persons

Chattanooga, Tennessee Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate
Tennessee
Unemployment Rate
Chattanooga
Unemployment Rate
Chattanooga
Unemployed
April
2023
3.4%
March
2023
3.5% 3.4% 3.1% 8,666
February
2023
3.6% 3.5% 3.2% 8,773
January
2023
3.4% 3.5% 3.2% 8,771
December
2022
3.5% 3.5% 3.2% 8,853
November
2022
3.6% 3.5% 3.2% 8,857
October
2022
3.7% 3.5% 3.2% 8,864
September
2022
3.5% 3.4% 3.2% 8,864
August
2022
3.7% 3.3% 3.2% 8,859
July
2022
3.5% 3.3% 3.2% 8,852
June
2022
3.6% 3.2% 3.2% 8,896
May
2022
3.6% 3.2% 3.3% 9,012

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.