Tennessee’s unemployment rate has dropped to its lowest level since March 2020, the last month before COVID-19 business closures impacted workers across the state. According to new data from the Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD), Tennessee recorded an unemployment rate of 4% in November 2021.
The new seasonally adjusted rate is down 0.2 of a percentage point from October and it matches the March 2020 rate. In a year-to-year comparison, the November figure dropped by 1.6 percentage points.
Tennessee experienced its highest unemployment ever in April 2020 when the rate spiked to a historic 15.8%.
Unemployment also dropped nationwide in November. The seasonally adjusted rate for the month came in at 4.2%, down 0.4 of a percentage point from October’s rate. One year ago, the national rate was 2.5 percentage points higher.