RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TN - Tennessee’s unemployment rate remained steady at 3.6% in September, according to the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, which released the delayed data following disruptions at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics caused by the federal government shutdown. The state’s seasonally adjusted jobless rate held firm from the previous month and continued to outperform the national average, with the U.S. unemployment rate reaching 4.4%, eight-tenths of a percentage point higher than Tennessee’s.

At the county level, Sevier and Williamson counties recorded the lowest unemployment rates statewide at 2.8%. Sevier’s rate ticked up slightly from August, while Williamson’s decreased by the same margin. Cheatham County followed closely at 2.9%. Rutherford County ranked fifth among the counties with the lowest unemployment, reporting a 3% jobless rate, just behind Dickson County, which also reported 3%.

Within Rutherford County, unemployment numbers continued to remain low and stable. Murfreesboro reported a 3.1% unemployment rate, up 0.1 point from September 2024. La Vergne registered 3%, also up slightly from last year, while Smyrna maintained the county’s lowest rate at 2.9%, unchanged from the previous year.

Statewide, employment trends remained positive. Between August and September, Tennessee added 3,400 nonfarm jobs, led by gains in accommodation and food services, durable goods manufacturing, and government. Over the past year, Tennessee employers added 35,800 positions, particularly in government, leisure and hospitality, and professional and business services. Nearly all counties statewide recorded unemployment rates below 5% in September, with only four of Tennessee’s 95 counties reporting jobless rates at or above that threshold.

A full breakdown of the September unemployment data and economic analysis is available through the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

• TDLWD has compiled an economic analysis of unemployment data, available here.
• A breakdown of the September county unemployment data is available here.