Department of Numbers

Knoxville, Tennessee Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Knoxville rose 0.1 percentage points in September 2023 to 3.1%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.1 percentage points lower than the Tennessee rate. The unemployment rate in Knoxville peaked in April 2020 at 13.7% and is now 10.6 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 2.9% in December 2021, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.2 percentage points. You can also compare Knoxville unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate September 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
National 3.8% 0.0 +0.3
Tennessee 3.2% +0.1 -0.2
Knoxville 3.1% +0.1 -0.1
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with September 2023 data as October metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Knoxville, Tennessee, National

Knoxville, Tennessee monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Knoxville, Tennessee Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Knoxville peaked in April 2020 at 56,486. There are now 42,818 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 12,952 in December 2021, the number of unemployed has now grown by 716.

Unemployed Persons September 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
Knoxville 13,668 +415 -186

Number of Unemployed Persons

Knoxville, Tennessee Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate
Tennessee
Unemployment Rate
Knoxville
Unemployment Rate
Knoxville
Unemployed
October
2023
3.9% 3.3%
September
2023
3.8% 3.2% 3.1% 13,668
August
2023
3.8% 3.1% 3.0% 13,253
July
2023
3.5% 3.1% 3.0% 13,232
June
2023
3.6% 3.2% 3.0% 13,099
May
2023
3.7% 3.3% 3.0% 13,182
April
2023
3.4% 3.3% 3.0% 13,041
March
2023
3.5% 3.4% 3.1% 13,418
February
2023
3.6% 3.5% 3.1% 13,710
January
2023
3.4% 3.5% 3.1% 13,640
December
2022
3.5% 3.5% 3.1% 13,738
November
2022
3.6% 3.5% 3.1% 13,753

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.