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 350,000 people.
With over 21,000 people living and working here and nearly 13,000 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 | 9,809 | 25.3% |
| Retail Trade | 4,648 | 12% |
| Health Care, Social & Educational Services | 3,840 | 9.9% |
| Government, State & Local | 3,877 | 10% |
| Administrative & Support Services | 3,499 | 9% |
| Finance, Insurance & Real Estate | 1,961 | 5% |
| Wholesale Trade | 1,383 | 3.6% |
| Construction | 1,825 | 4.7% |
| Accommodation & Food Services | 2,648 | 6.8% |
| Other Services, except Public Admin. | 1,981 | 4.9% |
| Professional, Scientific & Technical Services | 882 | 2.2% |
| All Other | 1,486 | 3.7% |
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis – 2020 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 $969.00 (Q2 2021 Avg., Bureau of Labor Statistics)
· Unemployment Rate was 3.1% in Hamblen County (September 2022, TN Dept. of Labor & Workforce Dev.)
· Unemployment Rate ranged from 3.1 to 4.2% in the seven surrounding counties (September 2022, TN Dept. of Labor & Workforce Dev.)
