Memphis, Tennessee Unemployment
The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Memphis fell 0.0 percentage points in July 2021 to 6.6%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 1.9 percentage points higher than the Tennessee rate. The unemployment rate in Memphis peaked in April 2020 at 13.4% and is now 6.8 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 6.5% in March 2021, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.1 percentage points. You can also compare Memphis unemployment with unemployment in other cities.
| Unemployment Rate | July 2021 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | 5.4% | -0.5 | -4.8 |
| Tennessee | 4.7% | -0.2 | -4.2 |
| Memphis | 6.6% | 0.0 | -5.5 |
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 81,173. There are now 38,008 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 42,036 in March 2021, the number of unemployed has now grown by 1,129. Memphis employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Memphis, Tennessee) is also available.
| Unemployed Persons | July 2021 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis | 43,165 | +222 | -32,665 |
Number of Unemployed Persons
Memphis, Tennessee Unemployment History
| Date | National Unemployment Rate |
Tennessee Unemployment Rate |
Memphis Unemployment Rate |
Memphis Unemployed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 2021 |
5.2% | — | — | — |
| July 2021 |
5.4% | 4.7% | 6.6% | 43,165 |
| June 2021 |
5.9% | 4.9% | 6.6% | 42,943 |
| May 2021 |
5.8% | 5.0% | 6.5% | 42,170 |
| April 2021 |
6.1% | 5.0% | 6.5% | 42,141 |
| March 2021 |
6.0% | 5.1% | 6.5% | 42,036 |
| February 2021 |
6.2% | 4.9% | 6.6% | 42,675 |
| January 2021 |
6.3% | 5.1% | 6.8% | 43,851 |
| December 2020 |
6.7% | 5.6% | 6.9% | 44,985 |
| November 2020 |
6.7% | 5.6% | 7.2% | 46,507 |
| October 2020 |
6.9% | 7.8% | 10.0% | 66,535 |
| September 2020 |
7.8% | 7.9% | 10.3% | 68,463 |
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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