Tennessee’s unemployment rate has held steady at 3.5% for the last three months, and June's jobless number was more than half a percentage point below the national rate, according to data released by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD).
The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in June was the same as its April and May rates. In June 2024, the rate was 3.3%.
The U.S. unemployment rate was 4.1% in June, down one-tenth of a percentage point from the previous month. A year ago, the U.S. rate also was 4.1%.
Over the past year, Tennessee employers added 22,900 nonfarm jobs, with the biggest increases in the Government, Leisure and Hospitality, and Education and Health Services sectors.
Over the month, total nonfarm employment increased by 6,100 jobs. The largest gains were in the Professional and Business Services sector, followed by the Education and Health Services sector and the Trade, Transportation, and Utilities sector.
Meaningful employment starts with education and hands-on training.
Last week, TDLWD and Lipscomb University announced the creation of Tennessee’s first Early Childhood Education Apprenticeship Hub.
Through Lipscomb’s Foundations to Futures program, aspiring educators will have a fully funded path to earn a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education while gaining experience as paid apprentices at sites like Little Wonders Early Learning Center in Nashville, the first employer partner.
The program is set to launch in the fall, pending final approval.