Department of Numbers

Memphis, Tennessee Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Memphis fell 0.3 percentage points in November 2021 to 4.8%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.8 percentage points higher than the Tennessee rate. The unemployment rate in Memphis peaked in April 2020 at 13.4% and is now 8.6 percentage points lower. You can also compare Memphis unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate November 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
National 4.2% -0.4 -2.5
Tennessee 4.0% -0.2 -1.6
Memphis 4.8% -0.3 -2.4
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with November 2021 data as December 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 81,173. There are now 50,106 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. Memphis employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Memphis, Tennessee) is also available.

Unemployed Persons November 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
Memphis 31,067 -1,942 -15,440

Number of Unemployed Persons

Memphis, Tennessee Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate		 Tennessee
Unemployment Rate		 Memphis
Unemployment Rate		 Memphis
Unemployed
December
2021		 3.9% — — —
November
2021		 4.2% 4.0% 4.8% 31,067
October
2021		 4.6% 4.2% 5.1% 33,009
September
2021		 4.7% 4.4% 5.3% 34,336
August
2021		 5.2% 4.6% 6.5% 42,568
July
2021		 5.4% 4.7% 6.6% 43,212
June
2021		 5.9% 4.9% 6.6% 42,943
May
2021		 5.8% 5.0% 6.5% 42,170
April
2021		 6.0% 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		 6.4% 5.1% 6.8% 43,851

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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