Tennessee releases May 2025 county unemployment data

The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD) has announced that every county in Tennessee recorded an unemployment rate of 5% or lower in May. Among the state’s 95 counties, 94 posted unemployment rates below 5%, while Hardeman County in the southwestern part of the state had a rate of 5%. Compared to April, unemployment rates decreased in three counties, while 92 counties saw an increase. Williamson County reported the lowest rate at 2.6%, a slight increase of four-tenths of a percentage point from the previous month. Four counties—Sevier, Rutherford, Cheatham, and Wilson—followed closely behind with rates of 2.7%. On the other end of the spectrum, Hardeman County had the highest unemployment rate at 5%, marking a five-tenths of a percentage point rise from April. Johnson County had the second-highest rate at 4.9%, a decrease of three-tenths of a percentage point from the previous month, while Perry County reported a rate of 4.8%, an increase of eight-tenths of a percentage point from April. Tennessee’s overall statewide unemployment rate for May was 3.5%. Unlike the state rate, county rates are not seasonally adjusted. For more details on the May 2025 county unemployment data, visit the TDLWD website. Tennessee will release its statewide unemployment data for June on Thursday, July 17, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. CDT.