Memphis, Tennessee Unemployment
The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Memphis fell 0.1 percentage points in September 2022 to 4.6%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 1.2 percentage points higher than the Tennessee rate. The unemployment rate in Memphis peaked in April 2020 at 13.1% and is now 8.5 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 4.6% in March 2022, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.0 percentage points. You can also compare Memphis unemployment with unemployment in other cities.
| Unemployment Rate | September 2022 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | 3.5% | -0.2 | -1.2 |
| Tennessee | 3.4% | 0.0 | -0.4 |
| Memphis | 4.6% | -0.1 | -0.8 |
Unemployment Rate: Memphis, Tennessee, National
Note: Recessions shown in gray.
Memphis, Tennessee Unemployed
The number of people unemployed in Memphis peaked in April 2020 at 79,681. There are now 49,570 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 29,521 in March 2022, the number of unemployed has now grown by 590. Memphis employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Memphis, Tennessee) is also available.
| Unemployed Persons | September 2022 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis | 30,111 | -622 | -4,796 |
Number of Unemployed Persons
Memphis, Tennessee Unemployment History
| Date | National Unemployment Rate |
Tennessee Unemployment Rate |
Memphis Unemployment Rate |
Memphis Unemployed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2022 |
3.7% | — | — | — |
| September 2022 |
3.5% | 3.4% | 4.6% | 30,111 |
| August 2022 |
3.7% | 3.4% | 4.7% | 30,733 |
| July 2022 |
3.5% | 3.3% | 4.7% | 30,770 |
| June 2022 |
3.6% | 3.3% | 4.6% | 30,164 |
| May 2022 |
3.6% | 3.3% | 4.6% | 29,720 |
| April 2022 |
3.6% | 3.2% | 4.6% | 29,537 |
| March 2022 |
3.6% | 3.2% | 4.6% | 29,521 |
| February 2022 |
3.8% | 3.4% | 4.7% | 30,525 |
| January 2022 |
4.0% | 3.5% | 4.9% | 31,339 |
| December 2021 |
3.9% | 3.6% | 5.0% | 32,285 |
| November 2021 |
4.2% | 3.6% | 5.0% | 32,215 |
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. ↩
Department of Numbers
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