Department of Numbers

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

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Nashville fell 0.0 percentage points in January 2023 to 2.7%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.8 percentage points lower than the Tennessee rate. The unemployment rate in Nashville peaked in April 2020 at 15.6% and is now 12.9 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 2.7% in March 2022, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.0 percentage points. You can also compare Nashville unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate January 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
National 3.4% -0.1 -0.6
Tennessee 3.5% 0.0 0.0
Nashville 2.7% 0.0 -0.2
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with January 2023 data as February 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 160,682. There are now 130,247 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 30,142 in September 2022, the number of unemployed has now grown by 293. Nashville employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Nashville, Tennessee) is also available.

Unemployed Persons January 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
Nashville 30,435 -146 -2,186

Number of Unemployed Persons

Nashville, Tennessee Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate
Tennessee
Unemployment Rate
Nashville
Unemployment Rate
Nashville
Unemployed
February
2023
3.6%
January
2023
3.4% 3.5% 2.7% 30,435
December
2022
3.5% 3.5% 2.7% 30,581
November
2022
3.6% 3.5% 2.8% 30,952
October
2022
3.7% 3.5% 2.7% 30,579
September
2022
3.5% 3.4% 2.7% 30,142
August
2022
3.7% 3.3% 2.7% 30,647
July
2022
3.5% 3.3% 2.7% 30,829
June
2022
3.6% 3.2% 2.7% 30,790
May
2022
3.6% 3.2% 2.7% 30,634
April
2022
3.6% 3.3% 2.7% 30,234
March
2022
3.6% 3.3% 2.7% 30,496

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.