As the geographic center of East Tennessee, Morristown pulls most of its labor force from Hamblen and seven surrounding counties with a combined population of nearly 337,000 people.
With over 19,000 people living and working here and nearly 11,000 commuting in to the county to work, Hamblen County has long been considered a hub for employment. Residents of the seven closest counties drive into Hamblen County in half an hour or less.
With nearly 100 manufacturers in the community, we have a strong manufacturing workforce representing over 24% of the total workforce in Hamblen County.
Employment By Industry – Hamblen County
| Industry | # Jobs | % of Total |
| Manufacturing | 9,768 | 24.9% |
| Retail Trade | 4,829 | 12.3% |
| Health Care, Social & Educational Services | 4,319 | 11% |
| Government, State & Local | 3,955 | 10.1% |
| Administrative & Support Services | 3,057 | 7.8% |
| Finance, Insurance & Real Estate | 2,038 | 5.2% |
| Wholesale Trade | 1,549 | 3.9% |
| Construction | 1,675 | 4.3% |
| Accommodation & Food Services | 2,843 | 7.2% |
| Other Services, except Public Admin. | 1,922 | 4.9% |
| Professional, Scientific & Technical Services | 843 | 2.1% |
| All Other | 889 | 2.3% |
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis – 2018 Employment by Industry
Having an available workforce with well-trained employees is vital to attracting industry & business to Morristown and Hamblen County. Programs through TN College of Applied Technology and Walters State Community College provide for both current and future needs for skilled and semi-skilled workers.
Other Labor Characteristics include:
· Tennessee is a right-to-work state.
· Hamblen County’s average weekly manufacturing wage is $967.00 (Q4 2019 QCEW, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
· Unemployment Rate was 110.9% in Hamblen County (May 2020)
· Unemployment Rate ranged from 9.8 to 16.3% in the seven surrounding counties (May 2020)
