Employment declined in 5 of the 6 largest counties in Tennessee from December 2024 to December 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee noted that Shelby County (-2.2 percent) had the largest over-the-year decrease in employment. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

  

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Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in covered employment among the largest counties in Tennessee, December 2025

County	Percent change, December 2025
Shelby	-2.2
Rutherford	-1.3
Davidson	-0.7
Hamilton	-0.7
Knox	-0.1
Williamson	2.2

Davidson County (555,200) had the highest employment level in Tennessee in December 2025. Together, the six largest counties accounted for 55.3 percent of total covered employment within the state. Nationwide, the 372 largest counties comprise 73.4 percent of total covered employment in the United States. (Large counties and county equivalents are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2024.)

All six large Tennessee counties reported average weekly wage gains over the year. (See chart 2.) Williamson had the largest gain (+7.0 percent). Over-the-year wage gains among the other five large Tennessee counties ranged from 3.6 percent to 3.1 percent.

  

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Chart 2. Over-the-year percent change in covered average weekly wages among the largest counties in Tennessee, fourth quarter 2025

County	Percent change, fourth quarter 2025
Williamson	7.0
Hamilton	3.6
Knox	3.2
Rutherford	3.2
Shelby	3.2
Davidson	3.1

Weekly wages in 2 of the 6 largest counties in Tennessee were above the national average of $1,569: Williamson ($1,889) and Davidson ($1,776). Average weekly wages among the other four large counties ranged from $1,469 in Shelby to $1,305 in Rutherford.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 89 smaller counties in Tennessee, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2024. (See table 2.) Wage levels in 87 of the 89 smaller counties were below the national average. Roane reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,795). Hancock reported the lowest average weekly wage ($714) in the state.

Among all 95 Tennessee counties, 9 reported average weekly wages less than $925, 19 had wages from $925 to $1,024, 31 had wages from $1,025 to $1,124, 15 had wages from $1,125 to $1,224, and 21 had average weekly wages of $1,225 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)