Newly-released data from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD) showed the state’s economic recovery continued in September. The jobless rate for the month dropped significantly when compared to the previous month.
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for September 2020 is 6.3%, a decrease of 2.3 percentage points from the revised August rate of 8.6%.
The latest rate is 9.2 percentage points lower than the April 2020 rate of 15.5%.
That is Tennessee’s all-time highest unemployment rate and was recorded during the peak of COVID-19 business closures.
Tennessee’s unemployment rate is moving closer to pre-pandemic levels. One year ago, the unemployment rate for September was 3.3%.
Employers across the state created 11,100 new non-farm jobs between August and September. The leisure/hospitality sector was responsible for the largest number of new hires for the month. The manufacturing sector created the second-largest increase, followed by the education/health services sector.
Between September 2019 and September 2020, Tennessee recorded a deficit of 131,500 jobs. The hardest-hit sectors are leisure/hospitality, manufacturing and professional/business services.
TDLWD has compiled a complete analysis of the September 2020 unemployment data, as well as jobs data for the state. You can find that report here.
Unemployment also decreased nationally in September. The seasonally adjusted rate for the United States is 7.9%, down 0.5 of a percentage points from August’s revised rate of 8.4%. Tennessee's unemployment rate is now 1.6 percentage points lower than the national rate.
Businesses across the state are ready to reemploy Tennesseans. Jobs4TN.gov, Tennessee’s workforce development website, currently has more than 210,000 open positions for job seekers of any skill level.
Besides current job openings, Jobs4TN.gov also provides online assistance with writing a resume that will catch the attention of employers, advice on how to engage and impress during job interviews, and details about potential job training opportunities.
The more than 80 American Job Centers across Tennessee are open for business and offering job seekers one-on-one personalized assistance. Career specialists are ready to work with individuals to devise a reemployment plan that will help them rejoin the state’s workforce.
All the assistance is free to anyone who needs help finding a new job or career path.
The state of Tennessee will release county unemployment data for September on Thursday, Oct. 22, at 1:30 p.m. CT.