How many jobs were added in Tennessee last month?
Refreshed monthly
Tennessee gained 5,700 jobs in May 2026, ranking it 11th among states in job growth. Those figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' state employment report, which tracks monthly job changes. Job numbers can swing month to month as local economies expand or contract, but over the past five years the state has averaged about 5,100 new jobs per month. These figures are often revised in later months as more complete data rolls in.
+5.7K
month to month change in number of jobs (May 2026)
11th
rank among states in monthly job growth (May 2026)
May 2026's gain of 5,700 jobs was the 3rd consecutive month of positive job growth in Tennessee. Monthly job growth was up from the 1,600 new jobs in April 2026.
During the latest five year period (June 2021 to May 2026), Tennessee gained jobs in 46 out of 60 months. May 2026 had the 26th-highest job growth during this period. The highest gains during this period occurred in July 2021 (+27,900) while job growth was weakest in June 2025 (-14,200).
There were 5,700 more jobs in May 2026 in Tennessee than the previous month.
Monthly change in nonfarm employment, June 2021–May 2026, seasonally adjusted
Which Tennessee sectors and industries had the best and worst job growth in May 2026?
The three supersectors with the highest job growth in May 2026 were durable goods, accommodation and food services, and local government. Durable goods added 1,600 jobs, more than the entire economy. Accommodation and food services gained 1,300 jobs, while local government added 1,100. The remaining supersectors either posted smaller gains or lost jobs during the month.
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The health care and social assistance sector lost 200 jobs during May 2026.
Change in jobs since previous month with circle size representing number of sector jobs in Tennessee (May 2026)
How does Tennessee's job growth in 2026 compare to previous years?
In 2025, Tennessee gained an average of 117 jobs every month. That's lower than the 2024 average monthly increase of 608, and the lowest since 2024. The 2025 average ranks as 16th-highest in job growth since 2007.
When excluding the two pandemic-affected years of 2020 and 2021, job growth ranged from a loss of 10,300 on average every month in 2009 to a gain of 12,000 on average every month in 2022.
In 2025, Tennessee gained an average of 117 jobs every month.
Average monthly change in the number of jobs, seasonally adjusted
Job growth among 10 metro areas primarily in Tennessee during May 2026 ranged from a loss of 100 jobs in the Jackson, TN area to a gain of 1,000 jobs in the Nashville, TN area metro area.
Monthly job growth, by metro area
Metro areas where at least one of its primary counties are within Tennessee
| Metro area | Change in jobs | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | +1,000 | |
| 2. | +500 | |
| 3. | +400 | |
| 4. | +200 | |
| 5. | +200 | |
| 6. | +200 | |
| 7. | +200 | |
| 8. | +0 | |
| 9. | +0 | |
| 10. | -100 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
