Department of Numbers

Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, Tennessee Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Nashville fell 0.0 percentage points in May 2023 to 2.6%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.7 percentage points lower than the Tennessee rate. The unemployment rate in Nashville peaked in April 2020 at 15.4% and is now 12.8 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 2.6% in April 2023, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.0 percentage points. You can also compare Nashville unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate May 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
National 3.7% +0.3 +0.1
Tennessee 3.3% 0.0 +0.1
Nashville 2.6% 0.0 -0.1
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with May 2023 data as June metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Nashville, Tennessee, National

Nashville, Tennessee monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Nashville, Tennessee Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Nashville peaked in April 2020 at 158,375. There are now 128,634 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 29,502 in April 2023, the number of unemployed has now grown by 239. Nashville employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Nashville, Tennessee) is also available.

Unemployed Persons May 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
Nashville 29,741 +239 -593

Number of Unemployed Persons

Nashville, Tennessee Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate
Tennessee
Unemployment Rate
Nashville
Unemployment Rate
Nashville
Unemployed
June
2023
3.6%
May
2023
3.7% 3.3% 2.6% 29,741
April
2023
3.4% 3.3% 2.6% 29,502
March
2023
3.5% 3.4% 2.7% 30,525
February
2023
3.6% 3.5% 2.8% 31,083
January
2023
3.4% 3.5% 2.7% 30,755
December
2022
3.5% 3.5% 2.7% 30,792
November
2022
3.6% 3.5% 2.7% 30,838
October
2022
3.7% 3.5% 2.7% 30,836
September
2022
3.5% 3.4% 2.7% 30,647
August
2022
3.7% 3.3% 2.7% 30,380
July
2022
3.5% 3.3% 2.7% 30,160

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.