Unemployment in Scott County
The unemployment rate is determined for each of Tennessee’s 95 counties by the TN Dept. of Labor & Workforce Development.
In June 2024, Scott County’s unemployment rate was 5.4%. The numbers used by the TN Dept. of Labor & Workforce Development to compute that rate were an estimated work force of 8,313, of which 7,861 were employed and 452 were unemployed.
Tennessee’s unemployment rate has frequently been criticized as somewhat arbitrary. Especially noteworthy: the number of unemployed workers — and thus the unemployment rate — is not based strictly on the number of people receiving unemployment benefits. Based on reporting by the Independent Herald, the state instead uses an undisclosed formula to determine how many out-of-work people are eligible for being classified as unemployed.
Historic highs and lows
Scott County’s all-time highest unemployment rate was in July 1985, when it reached 28.3% amid a slowdown in the coal mining industry that resulted in hundreds of layoffs.
Scott County’s all-time lowest unemployment rate is 3.1%, set in April 2025.
The 10 lowest unemployment rates by month in Scott County include:
1.) April 2025 — 3.1%
2.) March 2025 — 3.6%
2.) April 2024 — 3.6%
2.) April 2019 — 3.6%
5.) February 2024 —3.7%
5.) May 2025 — 3.7%
5.) May 2019 — 3.7%
5.) May 2018 — 3.7%
9.) April 2023 — 3.8%
9.) October 2021 — 3.8%
9.) April 2018 — 3.8%
9.) December 2017 — 3.8%
9.) May 2001 — 3.8%
The Great Recession
The highest unemployment rate in Scott County in modern times followed the Great Recession that began in late 2007. The local jobless rate hit double digits in February 2008, the highest it had been in nearly five years. From there, the jobless rate climbed to 15% in November 2008, and eventually maxed out at 21.1% in January 2011, following a mass layoff at the Hartco/Armstrong flooring plant in Oneida.
The unemployment rate slowly declined after January 2011, and dropped back into single digits in April 2015, ending a stretch of almost seven years — six years and 11 months, to be precise — in double digits. It was the longest such stretch in Scott County’s history.
Covid-19
Scott County’s unemployment rate was climbing even before the start of the coronavirus pandemic in Spring 2020. The jobless rate had increased from 4.0% in November 2019 to 6.7% in March 2020. As was the case in the rest of Tennessee and much of the nation, the unemployment rate spiked following government-mandated business closures that began in April 2020.
Scott County’s unemployment rate in April 2020 jumped from 6.7% to 17.9%. It quickly began to settle after that, falling to 12.1% in May 2020, and to 10.8% in June 2020.
Through the Years
| 1990-01-01 | 8.9 |
|---|---|
| 1990-02-01 | 11.3 |
| 1990-03-01 | 9.0 |
| 1990-04-01 | 8.2 |
| 1990-05-01 | 7.4 |
| 1990-06-01 | 10.4 |
| 1990-07-01 | 8.7 |
| 1990-08-01 | 8.4 |
| 1990-09-01 | 10.2 |
| 1990-10-01 | 10.4 |
| 1990-11-01 | 11.0 |
| 1990-12-01 | 10.4 |
| 1991-01-01 | 12.4 |
| 1991-02-01 | 16.6 |
| 1991-03-01 | 12.7 |
| 1991-04-01 | 10.9 |
| 1991-05-01 | 11.9 |
| 1991-06-01 | 17.9 |
| 1991-07-01 | 15.6 |
| 1991-08-01 | 18.5 |
| 1991-09-01 | 12.2 |
| 1991-10-01 | 11.6 |
| 1991-11-01 | 14.0 |
| 1991-12-01 | 13.2 |
| 1992-01-01 | 16.1 |
| 1992-02-01 | 14.4 |
| 1992-03-01 | 16.6 |
| 1992-04-01 | 15.0 |
| 1992-05-01 | 14.2 |
| 1992-06-01 | 18.6 |
| 1992-07-01 | 17.0 |
| 1992-08-01 | 17.0 |
| 1992-09-01 | 16.9 |
| 1992-10-01 | 14.6 |
| 1992-11-01 | 13.7 |
| 1992-12-01 | 15.6 |
| 1993-01-01 | 17.7 |
| 1993-02-01 | 19.2 |
| 1993-03-01 | 17.5 |
| 1993-04-01 | 17.2 |
| 1993-05-01 | 16.2 |
| 1993-06-01 | 17.6 |
| 1993-07-01 | 14.5 |
| 1993-08-01 | 14.3 |
| 1993-09-01 | 11.5 |
| 1993-10-01 | 11.6 |
| 1993-11-01 | 11.7 |
| 1993-12-01 | 12.0 |
| 1994-01-01 | 15.6 |
| 1994-02-01 | 14.8 |
| 1994-03-01 | 13.3 |
| 1994-04-01 | 10.5 |
| 1994-05-01 | 8.5 |
| 1994-06-01 | 10.1 |
| 1994-07-01 | 8.1 |
| 1994-08-01 | 8.8 |
| 1994-09-01 | 8.3 |
| 1994-10-01 | 7.7 |
| 1994-11-01 | 7.1 |
| 1994-12-01 | 8.2 |
| 1995-01-01 | 9.6 |
| 1995-02-01 | 11.2 |
| 1995-03-01 | 9.4 |
| 1995-04-01 | 9.8 |
| 1995-05-01 | 9.3 |
| 1995-06-01 | 10.4 |
| 1995-07-01 | 15.4 |
| 1995-08-01 | 9.1 |
| 1995-09-01 | 7.9 |
| 1995-10-01 | 9.2 |
| 1995-11-01 | 10.3 |
| 1995-12-01 | 11.0 |
| 1996-01-01 | 13.3 |
| 1996-02-01 | 11.8 |
| 1996-03-01 | 10.1 |
| 1996-04-01 | 9.9 |
| 1996-05-01 | 9.2 |
| 1996-06-01 | 9.8 |
| 1996-07-01 | 8.9 |
| 1996-08-01 | 8.1 |
| 1996-09-01 | 8.2 |
| 1996-10-01 | 11.6 |
| 1996-11-01 | 9.1 |
| 1996-12-01 | 9.6 |
| 1997-01-01 | 11.0 |
| 1997-02-01 | 9.5 |
| 1997-03-01 | 8.9 |
| 1997-04-01 | 8.2 |
| 1997-05-01 | 8.1 |
| 1997-06-01 | 9.3 |
| 1997-07-01 | 12.9 |
| 1997-08-01 | 7.6 |
| 1997-09-01 | 6.9 |
| 1997-10-01 | 7.0 |
| 1997-11-01 | 7.2 |
| 1997-12-01 | 6.3 |
| 1998-01-01 | 7.4 |
| 1998-02-01 | 7.9 |
| 1998-03-01 | 6.7 |
| 1998-04-01 | 5.5 |
| 1998-05-01 | 7.1 |
| 1998-06-01 | 6.6 |
| 1998-07-01 | 9.0 |
| 1998-08-01 | 6.9 |
| 1998-09-01 | 6.2 |
| 1998-10-01 | 6.3 |
| 1998-11-01 | 6.2 |
| 1998-12-01 | 6.5 |
| 1999-01-01 | 6.9 |
| 1999-02-01 | 7.8 |
| 1999-03-01 | 7.0 |
| 1999-04-01 | 7.1 |
| 1999-05-01 | 6.2 |
| 1999-06-01 | 8.7 |
| 1999-07-01 | 15.9 |
| 1999-08-01 | 7.8 |
| 1999-09-01 | 7.5 |
| 1999-10-01 | 7.3 |
| 1999-11-01 | 12.9 |
| 1999-12-01 | 5.8 |
| 2000-01-01 | 6.0 |
| 2000-02-01 | 6.6 |
| 2000-03-01 | 5.5 |
| 2000-04-01 | 4.5 |
| 2000-05-01 | 4.3 |
| 2000-06-01 | 5.3 |
| 2000-07-01 | 5.0 |
| 2000-08-01 | 5.9 |
| 2000-09-01 | 4.8 |
| 2000-10-01 | 4.3 |
| 2000-11-01 | 4.5 |
| 2000-12-01 | 5.0 |
| 2001-01-01 | 6.2 |
| 2001-02-01 | 5.6 |
| 2001-03-01 | 5.1 |
| 2001-04-01 | 4.3 |
| 2001-05-01 | 3.8 |
| 2001-06-01 | 7.6 |
| 2001-07-01 | 8.5 |
| 2001-08-01 | 5.5 |
| 2001-09-01 | 5.5 |
| 2001-10-01 | 7.9 |
| 2001-11-01 | 9.8 |
| 2001-12-01 | 9.6 |
| 2002-01-01 | 14.3 |
| 2002-02-01 | 12.9 |
| 2002-03-01 | 12.5 |
| 2002-04-01 | 11.4 |
| 2002-05-01 | 9.4 |
| 2002-06-01 | 10.0 |
| 2002-07-01 | 9.4 |
| 2002-08-01 | 8.8 |
| 2002-09-01 | 8.3 |
| 2002-10-01 | 9.5 |
| 2002-11-01 | 9.4 |
| 2002-12-01 | 9.3 |
| 2003-01-01 | 11.1 |
| 2003-02-01 | 11.2 |
| 2003-03-01 | 10.2 |
| 2003-04-01 | 9.6 |
| 2003-05-01 | 9.2 |
| 2003-06-01 | 10.6 |
| 2003-07-01 | 12.0 |
| 2003-08-01 | 8.6 |
| 2003-09-01 | 8.5 |
| 2003-10-01 | 8.3 |
| 2003-11-01 | 8.0 |
| 2003-12-01 | 7.2 |
| 2004-01-01 | 8.1 |
| 2004-02-01 | 7.8 |
| 2004-03-01 | 8.0 |
| 2004-04-01 | 6.6 |
| 2004-05-01 | 6.4 |
| 2004-06-01 | 7.6 |
| 2004-07-01 | 7.2 |
| 2004-08-01 | 6.4 |
| 2004-09-01 | 7.0 |
| 2004-10-01 | 6.9 |
| 2004-11-01 | 7.1 |
| 2004-12-01 | 7.9 |
| 2005-01-01 | 8.1 |
| 2005-02-01 | 7.9 |
| 2005-03-01 | 7.3 |
| 2005-04-01 | 6.5 |
| 2005-05-01 | 6.3 |
| 2005-06-01 | 7.0 |
| 2005-07-01 | 6.7 |
| 2005-08-01 | 6.1 |
| 2005-09-01 | 6.4 |
| 2005-10-01 | 6.9 |
| 2005-11-01 | 6.7 |
| 2005-12-01 | 6.6 |
| 2006-01-01 | 6.5 |
| 2006-02-01 | 6.3 |
| 2006-03-01 | 6.1 |
| 2006-04-01 | 6.5 |
| 2006-05-01 | 6.5 |
| 2006-06-01 | 7.6 |
| 2006-07-01 | 7.6 |
| 2006-08-01 | 6.8 |
| 2006-09-01 | 7.6 |
| 2006-10-01 | 6.7 |
| 2006-11-01 | 7.0 |
| 2006-12-01 | 6.7 |
| 2007-01-01 | 7.3 |
| 2007-02-01 | 7.5 |
| 2007-03-01 | 7.3 |
| 2007-04-01 | 6.7 |
| 2007-05-01 | 6.4 |
| 2007-06-01 | 7.0 |
| 2007-07-01 | 6.6 |
| 2007-08-01 | 6.1 |
| 2007-09-01 | 6.5 |
| 2007-10-01 | 7.2 |
| 2007-11-01 | 7.0 |
| 2007-12-01 | 7.9 |
| 2008-01-01 | 9.4 |
| 2008-02-01 | 10.1 |
| 2008-03-01 | 10.4 |
| 2008-04-01 | 8.8 |
| 2008-05-01 | 8.8 |
| 2008-06-01 | 10.6 |
| 2008-07-01 | 12.1 |
| 2008-08-01 | 11.2 |
| 2008-09-01 | 12.3 |
| 2008-10-01 | 12.9 |
| 2008-11-01 | 15.0 |
| 2008-12-01 | 14.9 |
| 2009-01-01 | 17.3 |
| 2009-02-01 | 17.7 |
| 2009-03-01 | 18.5 |
| 2009-04-01 | 17.5 |
| 2009-05-01 | 17.5 |
| 2009-06-01 | 18.7 |
| 2009-07-01 | 18.8 |
| 2009-08-01 | 18.1 |
| 2009-09-01 | 17.9 |
| 2009-10-01 | 17.2 |
| 2009-11-01 | 17.1 |
| 2009-12-01 | 17.6 |
| 2010-01-01 | 16.4 |
| 2010-02-01 | 16.4 |
| 2010-03-01 | 17.7 |
| 2010-04-01 | 16.7 |
| 2010-05-01 | 16.6 |
| 2010-06-01 | 18.3 |
| 2010-07-01 | 17.4 |
| 2010-08-01 | 17.4 |
| 2010-09-01 | 17.6 |
| 2010-10-01 | 16.8 |
| 2010-11-01 | 17.6 |
| 2010-12-01 | 18.7 |
| 2011-01-01 | 21.1 |
| 2011-02-01 | 20.0 |
| 2011-03-01 | 19.5 |
| 2011-04-01 | 18.4 |
| 2011-05-01 | 17.5 |
| 2011-06-01 | 18.1 |
| 2011-07-01 | 17.3 |
| 2011-08-01 | 16.8 |
| 2011-09-01 | 16.1 |
| 2011-10-01 | 15.8 |
| 2011-11-01 | 15.3 |
| 2011-12-01 | 17.0 |
| 2012-01-01 | 16.9 |
| 2012-02-01 | 15.8 |
| 2012-03-01 | 15.7 |
| 2012-04-01 | 13.9 |
| 2012-05-01 | 14.3 |
| 2012-06-01 | 16.8 |
| 2012-07-01 | 19.5 |
| 2012-08-01 | 15.4 |
| 2012-09-01 | 14.7 |
| 2012-10-01 | 15.1 |
| 2012-11-01 | 15.2 |
| 2012-12-01 | 15.8 |
| 2013-01-01 | 16.7 |
| 2013-02-01 | 15.8 |
| 2013-03-01 | 15.3 |
| 2013-04-01 | 13.6 |
| 2013-05-01 | 14.2 |
| 2013-06-01 | 15.8 |
| 2013-07-01 | 14.9 |
| 2013-08-01 | 13.4 |
| 2013-09-01 | 13.2 |
| 2013-10-01 | 13.4 |
| 2013-11-01 | 13.4 |
| 2013-12-01 | 13.3 |
| 2014-01-01 | 13.9 |
| 2014-02-01 | 13.5 |
| 2014-03-01 | 12.9 |
| 2014-04-01 | 12.1 |
| 2014-05-01 | 10.9 |
| 2014-06-01 | 12.0 |
| 2014-07-01 | 11.8 |
| 2014-08-01 | 11.1 |
| 2014-09-01 | 10.6 |
| 2014-10-01 | 10.2 |
| 2014-11-01 | 10.7 |
| 2014-12-01 | 10.6 |
| 2015-01-01 | 11.3 |
| 2015-02-01 | 10.3 |
| 2015-03-01 | 10.3 |
| 2015-04-01 | 8.9 |
| 2015-05-01 | 8.8 |
| 2015-06-01 | 9.8 |
| 2015-07-01 | 10.9 |
| 2015-08-01 | 8.5 |
| 2015-09-01 | 7.9 |
| 2015-10-01 | 7.8 |
| 2015-11-01 | 8.3 |
| 2015-12-01 | 8.1 |
| 2016-01-01 | 7.6 |
| 2016-02-01 | 7.8 |
| 2016-03-01 | 7.5 |
| 2016-04-01 | 6.9 |
| 2016-05-01 | 6.5 |
| 2016-06-01 | 8.0 |
| 2016-07-01 | 8.3 |
| 2016-08-01 | 7.4 |
| 2016-09-01 | 7.2 |
| 2016-10-01 | 7.0 |
| 2016-11-01 | 7.1 |
| 2016-12-01 | 7.7 |
| 2017-01-01 | 8.1 |
| 2017-02-01 | 6.6 |
| 2017-03-01 | 5.8 |
| 2017-04-01 | 4.9 |
| 2017-05-01 | 4.5 |
| 2017-06-01 | 5.6 |
| 2017-07-01 | 5.1 |
| 2017-08-01 | 4.6 |
| 2017-09-01 | 4.2 |
| 2017-10-01 | 4.1 |
| 2017-11-01 | 4.0 |
| 2017-12-01 | 3.8 |
| 2018-01-01 | 4.8 |
| 2018-02-01 | 4.7 |
| 2018-03-01 | 4.5 |
| 2018-04-01 | 3.9 |
| 2018-05-01 | 3.8 |
| 2018-06-01 | 5.3 |
| 2018-07-01 | 4.9 |
| 2018-08-01 | 4.3 |
| 2018-09-01 | 4.3 |
| 2018-10-01 | 4.5 |
| 2018-11-01 | 4.0 |
| 2018-12-01 | 4.1 |
| 2019-01-01 | 5.1 |
| 2019-02-01 | 4.6 |
| 2019-03-01 | 4.6 |
| 2019-04-01 | 3.5 |
| 2019-05-01 | 3.7 |
| 2019-06-01 | 5.2 |
| 2019-07-01 | 4.7 |
| 2019-08-01 | 4.4 |
| 2019-09-01 | 4.0 |
| 2019-10-01 | 4.1 |
| 2019-11-01 | 3.9 |
| 2019-12-01 | 3.9 |
| 2020-01-01 | 4.4 |
| 2020-02-01 | 4.5 |
| 2020-03-01 | 6.5 |
| 2020-04-01 | 17.6 |
| 2020-05-01 | 12.2 |
| 2020-06-01 | 11.0 |
| 2020-07-01 | 10.1 |
| 2020-08-01 | 7.9 |
| 2020-09-01 | 7.0 |
| 2020-10-01 | 6.8 |
| 2020-11-01 | 6.3 |
| 2020-12-01 | 6.8 |
| 2021-01-01 | 6.7 |
| 2021-02-01 | 6.7 |
| 2021-03-01 | 6.2 |
| 2021-04-01 | 5.2 |
| 2021-05-01 | 5.2 |
| 2021-06-01 | 6.2 |
| 2021-07-01 | 5.4 |
| 2021-08-01 | 4.8 |
| 2021-09-01 | 4.3 |
| 2021-10-01 | 4.0 |
| 2021-11-01 | 4.7 |
| 2021-12-01 | 4.2 |
| 2022-01-01 | 5.1 |
| 2022-02-01 | 4.8 |
| 2022-03-01 | 4.8 |
| 2022-04-01 | 4.0 |
| 2022-05-01 | 4.5 |
| 2022-06-01 | 5.9 |
| 2022-07-01 | 5.5 |
| 2022-08-01 | 4.8 |
| 2022-09-01 | 4.8 |
| 2022-10-01 | 5.1 |
| 2022-11-01 | 4.8 |
| 2022-12-01 | 4.4 |
| 2023-01-01 | 5.2 |
| 2023-02-01 | 5.2 |
| 2023-03-01 | 4.6 |
| 2023-04-01 | 3.8 |
| 2023-05-01 | 5.0 |
| 2023-06-01 | 5.8 |
| 2023-07-01 | 5.6 |
| 2023-08-01 | 4.8 |
| 2023-09-01 | 4.5 |
| 2023-10-01 | 4.5 |
| 2023-11-01 | 4.1 |
| 2023-12-01 | 3.8 |
| 2024-01-01 | 4.5 |
| 2024-02-01 | 3.6 |
| 2024-03-01 | 4.3 |
| 2024-04-01 | 3.6 |
| 2024-05-01 | 4.1 |
| 2024-06-01 | 5.4 |
| 2024-06-01 | 5.0 |
| 2024-07-01 | 5.4 |
| 2024-08-01 | 4.2 |
| 2024-09-01 | 4.1 |
| 2024-10-01 | 4.1 |
| 2024-11-01 | 4.1 |
| 2024-12-01 | 3.8 |
| 2025-01-01 | 4.1 |
| 2025-02-01 | 3.8 |
| 2025-03-01 | 3.6 |
| 2025-04-01 | 3.1 |
| 2025-05-01 | 3.7 |
| 2025-06-01 | 5.0 |
| 2025-07-01 | 5.4 |
| 2025-08-01 | 4.2 |