Department of Numbers

Memphis, Tennessee Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Memphis fell 0.1 percentage points in February 2021 to 6.5%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 1.6 percentage points higher than the Tennessee rate. The unemployment rate in Memphis peaked in April 2020 at 13.4% and is now 6.9 percentage points lower. You can also compare Memphis 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
Memphis 6.5% -0.1 +2.4
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: Memphis, Tennessee, National

Memphis, Tennessee monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Memphis, Tennessee Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Memphis peaked in April 2020 at 80,788. There are now 38,769 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. Memphis employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Memphis, Tennessee) is also available.

Unemployed Persons February 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
Memphis 42,019 -624 +15,507

Number of Unemployed Persons

Memphis, Tennessee Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate		 Tennessee
Unemployment Rate		 Memphis
Unemployment Rate		 Memphis
Unemployed
March
2021		 6.0% — — —
February
2021		 6.2% 4.9% 6.5% 42,019
January
2021		 6.3% 5.1% 6.6% 42,643
December
2020		 6.7% 5.6% 7.5% 50,567
November
2020		 6.7% 5.6% 7.0% 46,381
October
2020		 6.9% 7.8% 9.9% 64,989
September
2020		 7.8% 7.9% 9.3% 61,093
August
2020		 8.4% 8.1% 11.9% 79,396
July
2020		 10.2% 8.9% 12.8% 79,665
June
2020		 11.1% 9.3% 11.3% 69,142
May
2020		 13.3% 9.6% 11.0% 69,051
April
2020		 14.8% 15.8% 13.4% 80,788

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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