Tennessee's unemployment rate for February 2021 has reached near pre-pandemic levels, according to data released by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD).

February's statewide, seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is 4.9%, which is just one percentage point higher than it was in February 2020, one month before the COVID-19 health crisis created an economic slowdown across Tennessee.

Overall, unemployment in Tennessee is down 0.2 of a percentage point from January's revised rate of 5.1%.

When compared to February's nationwide seasonally adjusted rate of 6.2%, unemployment in Tennessee is 1.3 percentage points lower than the national average.

Total nonfarm employment in the state increased by 6,300 jobs between January and February. The professional/business services sector saw the most growth, followed by the leisure/hospitality and education/health services sectors.

In a year-to-year comparison, the pandemic's impact on employment is evident. Between February 2020 and February 2021, Tennessee experienced a decrease of 118,600 jobs across the state.

The national unemployment rate for February is down 0.1 of a percentage point from January but still represents a 2.7 percentage point increase when compared to the February 2020 number.