While today’s unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.

Experts are mixed in their views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession. The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.

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But as of August 2023, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.8%—nearly the same as the same month last year, and up about 0.3 percentage points from July. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 1.7% in Maryland to 5.4% in Nevada.

Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Tennessee using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in August 2023, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.

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#50. Grainger County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,805 people (350 unemployed)

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#49. Obion County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 12,971 people (472 unemployed)

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#48. Franklin County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 19,082 people (694 unemployed)

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#47. Carter County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 23,836 people (868 unemployed)

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#46. Bradley County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 50,261 people (1,807 unemployed)

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#45. Lake County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 1,577 people (59 unemployed)

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#44. Henderson County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 11,680 people (427 unemployed)

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#43. Dyer County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 16,664 people (619 unemployed)

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#42. Fayette County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 18,915 people (704 unemployed)

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#41. Monroe County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 20,924 people (767 unemployed)

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#40. Roane County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 24,018 people (885 unemployed)

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#39. Wayne County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
— 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,523 people (245 unemployed)

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#38. Union County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
— 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 7,949 people (300 unemployed)

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#37. DeKalb County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
— 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 8,239 people (316 unemployed)

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#36. Hawkins County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
— 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 23,249 people (893 unemployed)

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#35. Pickett County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,150 people (83 unemployed)

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#34. Decatur County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,429 people (174 unemployed)

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#33. Jackson County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,811 people (190 unemployed)

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#32. Sequatchie County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,225 people (241 unemployed)

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#31. Morgan County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,933 people (308 unemployed)

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#30. Hardin County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 10,159 people (399 unemployed)

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#29. Claiborne County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 12,715 people (498 unemployed)

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#28. Cumberland County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 23,854 people (937 unemployed)

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#27. Tipton County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 27,193 people (1,073 unemployed)

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#26. Montgomery County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 88,515 people (3,443 unemployed)

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#25. Benton County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,721 people (269 unemployed)

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#24. Polk County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 7,069 people (283 unemployed)

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#23. Marion County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 12,444 people (500 unemployed)

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#22. Warren County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 16,449 people (660 unemployed)

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#21. Greene County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 28,303 people (1,135 unemployed)

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#20. Clay County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,917 people (119 unemployed)

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#19. Cocke County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 14,881 people (611 unemployed)

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#18. Campbell County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 15,118 people (613 unemployed)

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#17. Grundy County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
— 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,067 people (213 unemployed)

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#16. Unicoi County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
— 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,977 people (294 unemployed)

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#15. Hardeman County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,915 people (378 unemployed)

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#14. McMinn County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 20,996 people (876 unemployed)

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#13. Perry County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
— 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,698 people (117 unemployed)

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#12. Carroll County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
— 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 11,703 people (504 unemployed)

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#11. Hancock County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,309 people (101 unemployed)

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#10. Meigs County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,188 people (229 unemployed)

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#9. Rhea County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 13,793 people (601 unemployed)

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#8. Van Buren County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
— 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,127 people (95 unemployed)

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#7. Houston County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,257 people (150 unemployed)

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#6. Haywood County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
— 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,492 people (352 unemployed)

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#5. McNairy County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
— 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,571 people (399 unemployed)

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#4. Shelby County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 430,724 people (20,038 unemployed)

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#3. Scott County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
— 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 8,099 people (387 unemployed)

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#2. Bledsoe County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
— 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,458 people (233 unemployed)

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#1. Lauderdale County

– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,493 people (555 unemployed)

This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.