Tennessee?s statewide unemployment rate for April 2021 decreased by double digits when compared to data from the previous year. In April 2020, the state?s jobless rate reached a record high during the economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to data released from the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Tennessee?s preliminary, seasonally adjusted rate for April is 5%. That?s down 0.1 of a percentage point from March?s revised rate of 5.1%.
Unemployment reached an all-time high in April 2020, at the height of business closures due to the pandemic. The revised rate of 15.8% is 10.8 percentage points higher than where it stands one year later.
Between April 2020 and April 2021, Tennessee?s economy made a remarkable rebound with the addition of 287,400 jobs.
Nationally, seasonally adjusted unemployment increased slightly to 6.1%, up 0.1 of a percentage point from March?s revised rate of 6%. In a year-to-year comparison, the United States rate is down 8.7% from where it was in April 2020.