Skip to main content

State Briefs

Tennessee unemployment ticks up slightly in November

Tennessee’s unemployment rate increased to 3.5% in November, up from 3.4% in October. According to Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD), Tennessee’s November 2024 unemployment rate was unchanged from its November 2023 rate. The state’s unemployment rate still remains below...

Tennessee records highest level of seat belt usage

Tennessee has achieved its highest seat belt usage rate on record for the second year in a row. The Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) conducted an annual roadside observational survey that determined a statewide usage rate of 92.2%, an increase of 0.2% from 2023. Researchers found occupants for...

Nearly 70,000 tons removed from roadways during Tennessee's No Trash November

Nearly 70,000 pounds of litter was removed from communities throughout Tennessee as part of the Tennessee Department of Transportation’s (TDOT) 4th Annual No Trash November, a month-long initiative to ensure the state’s roadways and waterways are safe from the harmful effects of litter. Spearheaded...

Tennessee fifth most popular state for new business filings

Tennessee is one of the top states for entrepreneurs, according to information compiled from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Tennessee ranked as the fifth most popular state for new businesses with the number of new businesses in the state growing by 8% between 2022 and 2023. The state saw...

Duck River

Gov. Lee creates Duck River Watershed Planning Partnership

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed Executive Order 108, to establish the Duck River Watershed Planning Partnership and further the state’s commitment to balancing economic growth, water resource management, and environmental and habitat conservation to ensure the long-term sustainability of Tennessee’s...

Tennessee October revenues $30.1M less than budgeted estimates

The Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration announced that revenues for October were $1.5 billion, which is $22.6 million more than October of last year, but $30.1 million less than the budgeted estimate.  

The total growth rate for the month was 1.53 percent. 

General fund revenues were...

Tennessee October unemployment steady at 3.3%

Tennessee’s October unemployment rate remained near its all-time low and well below the U.S. rate, according to the latest data from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD). The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.3% in October, an increase of one-tenth of...

TN AG announces opioid settlement with Kroger

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, alongside a bipartisan coalition of 30 state attorneys general, announced the completion of the $1.37 billion settlement agreement with Kroger, addressing the grocery chain’s role in the opioid crisis. Tennessee will receive up to $42.9 million for...

Tennessee's Digital Opportunity Plan approved by NTIA

The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) announced the approval of the state’s Digital Opportunity Plan. The department has been allocated $15.8 million to implement the plan, which supports digital skilling and workforce development programs. With this approval from...

Tennessee graduation rate breaks record

Tennessee’s high school graduation rate broke another record in the 2023-24 school year. The rate was 92.1%, above the previous school year’s record-breaking 90.6%. Clay County Schools, McKenzie Special School District, South Carroll Special School District, and West Carroll Special District each...

TN Comptroller Sales Tax Compliance

Tennessee’s Retail Accountability program produces sales tax compliance

The Tennessee Comptroller’s Office has completed an evaluation of Tennessee’s Retail Accountability Program (RAP) which is designed to ensure businesses remit the proper amount of sales tax revenues

Sports betting has generated $261M in tax revenue for Tennessee

Sports betting has generated more than $261 million in taxes for Tennessee since its legalization in 2019. More than $14.7 billion in sports bets have been placed in Tennessee during that period with Tennessee being the first state to go fully online for its sports betting. The industry has...