Morristown holds steady as national job growth stalls.
3.7%
Morristown MSA unemployment
Aug 2026, up 0.1pt YoY; vs 4.2% national
29,000 jobs
National payroll growth
Sept 2026, below 45k 12-mo average
3.0% vs 3.4%
National wage vs inflation gap
Wage growth trails inflation, weakest since 2021
3.4%-3.5%
Tennessee statewide unemployment
Aug/June 2026, well below national rate
This Month's Takeaways
01
Morristown's unemployment uptick looks mild against the national slowdown.
The metro's 3.7% rate, up only a tenth of a point year-over-year, compares favorably to a national unemployment rate of 4.2% and a September payroll report showing just 29,000 jobs added nationally. Local labor market conditions appear more stable than the national trajectory, not less.
02
Skilled trades and professional pay are pulling away from retail and service wages.
Electricians, accountants, and financial analysts all post significant local pay gains while retail associates, cashiers, and food service workers sit flat. This divergence is consistent with the national pattern of hands-on and specialized labor outpacing lower-wage consumer-facing roles, with implications for local consumer spending capacity.
03
Heavy in-commuting signals Morristown functions as a regional employment hub, not a self-contained market.
Over 19,000 workers commute into Hamblen County versus roughly 13,000 working residents, meaning local economic health depends partly on conditions in surrounding counties. Commerce leaders assessing business climate should weigh regional labor supply, not just county-level statistics.
04
Manufacturing wage strength locally cuts against a statewide contraction narrative.
Tennessee manufacturing employment has softened statewide, yet Morristown's manufacturing production/assembler pay is trending up moderately. That contrast may suggest the metro's industrial employers are retaining pricing power or facing tighter skilled-labor supply even as the sector cools elsewhere.
Local Economic Conditions
Morristown MSA unemployment held at 3.7% in August, a tenth above a year ago, as manufacturing — still 23.7% of metro employment — shows signs of plateauing alongside a statewide contraction in the sector. Regional pull remains notable, with Hamblen County drawing more than 19,000 in-commuters against roughly 13,000 residents working locally, even as national payroll growth has slowed to a crawl and real wages nationally have slipped behind a 3.4% inflation rate.
Open Threads in the Data
Manufacturing wage gains locally (production/assembler pay up moderately) alongside national manufacturing softness suggests the metro's industrial base is holding steadier than the broader sector trend, a relevant data point for economic development officials weighing site-selection pitches or expansion incentives. Commerce leaders evaluating local business climate should note that wage momentum is concentrated in skilled trades and professional roles (electricians, accountants, financial analysts all up significantly) rather than broad-based retail or food-service pay, pointing to an uneven recovery in consumer-facing spending power. Current conditions suggest monitoring whether in-commuting levels hold steady, since any softening would signal reduced regional draw rather than a purely local labor supply issue.
Advertised Pay Indicators · WageScape Benchmark 25 Jobs
Job postings data for the Morristown, TN MSA metro — median advertised pay, its recent trend, and the number of active postings behind each figure. Jobs are grouped for readability and are not the same as the 10 sector classifications on the next page. For additional job detail contact WageScape.
Retail Trade
| Retail Sales Associate |
$26,000 |
→ Stable |
588 |
| Retail Cashier |
$23,880 |
→ Stable |
466 |
Transportation & Warehousing
| Warehouse/Fulfillment Associate |
$37,801 |
↑ Moderate increase |
68 |
| CDL Truck Driver |
$81,153 |
→ Stable |
881 |
| Delivery Driver |
$32,843 |
↑ Moderate increase |
610 |
| Warehouse Manager |
$66,854 |
→ Stable |
25 |
Construction
| Construction Laborer |
$35,360 |
↓ Moderate decline |
37 |
Construction/Skilled Trades
| Electrician |
$65,745 |
↑ Significant increase |
56 |
| HVAC Technician |
$64,347 |
↓ Moderate decline |
2,118 |
Manufacturing
| Manufacturing Production Worker/Assembler |
$38,049 |
↑ Moderate increase |
118 |
Cross-Sector
| Customer Service Representative |
$35,787 |
↑ Moderate increase |
99 |
| Operations Manager |
— |
Limited local postings |
— |
Leisure & Hospitality
| Food Service Worker |
$29,120 |
→ Stable |
11 |
Healthcare
| Certified Nursing Assistant / Home Health Aide |
$34,220 |
→ Stable |
157 |
| Registered Nurse |
$85,991 |
↑ Moderate increase |
684 |
Admin/Office Support
| Administrative Assistant/Office Clerk |
$36,400 |
↓ Significant decline |
68 |
Information/Technology
| Software Engineer |
$166,018 |
↑ Significant increase |
13 |
| Data Engineer |
$129,576 |
↑ Moderate increase |
1,887 |
Professional & Business Services
| Accountant |
$73,740 |
↑ Significant increase |
30 |
| HR Generalist/Manager |
$106,909 |
↓ Moderate decline |
53 |
| Marketing Specialist |
$60,000 |
→ Stable |
632 |
| Business Analyst |
$95,462 |
→ Stable |
1,554 |
Finance & Insurance
| Financial Analyst |
$107,909 |
↑ Significant increase |
15 |
Government/Education
| Elementary/Secondary School Teacher |
$50,454 |
↑ Significant increase |
151 |
Cross-Sector Sales
| Account Manager |
$138,657 |
↑ Significant increase |
59 |
Industry Snapshot · Morristown, TN MSA
Advertised pay and job-posting trends across the whole metro economy, rolled up by employer industry — not just the bellwether roles above.
| Sector |
Median Pay Change |
Job Postings Change |
| Construction |
↓ −9.8% |
↑ +169.0% |
| Manufacturing |
↑ +14.4% |
↑ +158.7% |
| Retail Trade |
↑ +5.2% |
↑ +96.4% |
| Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities |
↓ −21.3% |
↑ +304.6% |
| Information |
↑ +54.9% |
↑ +23.1% |
| Financial Activities |
↑ +21.7% |
↑ +4.1% |
| Professional & Business Services |
↑ +11.2% |
↑ +158.3% |
| Education & Health Services |
↑ +15.4% |
↑ +38.3% |
| Leisure & Hospitality |
↑ +4.8% |
↑ +81.6% |
| Government |
↑ +79.1% |
↑ +1115.2% |
Looking Ahead · Next 30–60 Days
Expected
September BLS metro unemployment figures for Morristown are due in mid-October; watch whether the August uptick to 3.7% extends into a trend or proves a one-month blip.
Worth watching
Tennessee WARN filings have affected nearly 6,000 workers statewide this year, concentrated in manufacturing and transportation. No Morristown-specific filings have surfaced yet, but commerce leaders should track whether regional manufacturing softness reaches Hamblen County employers.
Emerging pressure point
National wage growth has slipped to 3.0% against 3.4% inflation, the weakest pace since 2021. If that gap persists, local consumer spending — a key input for retail and hospitality employers in the metro — could soften over the next two quarters.
Early indicator
Statewide average weekly wages fell 0.7% year-over-year as of June even as some counties posted strong gains, a divergence worth watching for whether Hamblen County tracks the statewide softening or the stronger-performing counties.
Sources & Methodology
Pay and hiring data provided by WageScape. See every source cited in this report, with links →
Advertised pay reflects the pay ranges employers publish in active job postings in this metro, not survey or payroll data. Pay trends compare the current period with the prior period for the same metro and role. Sector figures group postings by the employer's industry classification; sectors with limited classified postings are marked as such rather than estimated. This briefing is independent of, and complements, official statistics from the BLS and state labor market information offices.
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