According to the Tennessee Dept. of Labor, Tennessee’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stood at 3.6% in February 2026, according to the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD). This represents a slight increase from 3.5% in January and from the same month a year earlier. Despite the modest uptick, the state’s rate remains well below the national average of 4.4% for February, which itself rose slightly from the previous month and year.

Over the past year, Tennessee saw a net loss of 6,400 nonfarm jobs, with the largest declines occurring in the trade, transportation, and utilities sector, followed by manufacturing and federal government. From January to February 2026, the state lost an additional 9,200 nonfarm jobs, led by drops in private education and health services, followed by trade, transportation, and utilities, and leisure and hospitality.

The TDLWD has released a full analysis of the February 2026 data. In related news, the department encourages job seekers to take advantage of spring by refreshing their resumes with free, personalized assistance from career specialists at nearly 80 American Job Centers across the state. County-level unemployment data for February 2026 will be released on Thursday, April 23, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. CDT.