The Tri-Cities economy is adding an average of 300 jobs a month so far this year. That’s the seasonally adjusted total for the first quarter. In March there were 600 more jobs than March last year. The local jobs report lags the national report by a month.
Health care, education and professional services are now the dominant sources of stable employment growth, while manufacturing has plateaued despite the demand for skilled labor. There’s a rising demand for IT, logistics and skilled workers reflecting a broader regional industrial diversification.
Construction, retail trade, leisure, and hospitality and government added 1,300 jobs in March while the manufacturing job sector saw a 200-job decline.
Constructions gains in both the ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ and Kingsport-Bristol metro areas were the top gaining sectors when compared to last year. ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ is up 3.3%, and Kingsport-Bristol is up 4.5%.
On the other side of the gain-loss score, care professional and business services is continuing an eight-month decline in the ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ area. It’s currently down 4.9%.
Kingsport-Bristol’s top sector loss is in the transportation and utilities sector. It’s down 3.8%.
5,468 JOBS ADVERTISED
Regionwide, there are 5,468 open jobs being advertised in the Northeast Tennessee labor market. The highest number of openings is in the health care practitioners and health care tech areas — 859 jobs.
REGIONAL AVERAGE HOURLY WAGE
The current regional average wage is $26.95 an hour. Statewide the average is $30.93.
The region’s wage growth trend has been moderate, with most increases concentrating in health care and construction. Lower wage sector jobs continue to dominate the job count.
RNs TOP THE MOST JOBS LIST
Openings for registered nurses tops the help-wanted list with 232 openings at an average wage of $76,899. The next four top demand jobs and salaries are:
• Retail sales — 135, $29,568
Physicians — 113, not wage listed in Jobs4TN
Cashiers — 100, $26,115
License practical and licensed vocational nurses 81 — $49,967
GROWING DEMAND
According to the State Department of Labor, the top growing local demand for workers and the average annual wage is:
Fast food and counter workers — $26,698
Retail salespersons — $29,568
Servers — $26,086
Customer service representatives — $35,080
Cashiers — $26,115
UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS
The latest report shows 168 new unemployment claims in Northeast Tennessee. There were 381 continued claims, down from 1,033, during the previous report.
LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION
Washington County again leads the region in the labor force participation ratings at 59.3% followed by Unicoi County at 54%. The lowest rate is in Johnson County at 42.3%, followed by Hawkins at 47.2% and Greene at 48.5%.
The regional labor force remains below pre-pandemic levels, largely due to retirements and a decline in the working-age population. Employers continue having trouble recruiting skilled and entry-level workers — especially in manufacturing and trades despite some competitive wage increases.
Don Fenley is semiretired from a 45-year career as a journalist. His news blog — Core Data — focuses on local housing data and localized reports about the core elements of the Northeast Tennessee economy.
