Healthcare workers needed in Knoxville, ECO report says
There are more than 1,180 open positions in the healthcare and social assistance sector.
Every month, The Knoxville Chamber offers a diverse set of economic indicators and analyses for the region. The team conducts monthly surveys of businesses in manufacturing, retail, and services to assess current economic conditions and future outlook. Read the full ECO Report here.
In Knoxville, there is a notable shortage of healthcare workers, with over 1,180 open positions in the healthcare and social assistance sector. Following closely, the retail trade industry is also experiencing a significant worker shortage, with approximately 1,130 job openings in September. Additionally, the third field with the highest demand for workers is administrative support, waste management, and remediation services, which had around 1,000 job postings in September. These employment needs mirror the top three fields from the August report.
Some of these in-demand jobs include:
- Registered Nurse
- Retail Sales Associate
- Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
Also of note, Knoxville ascended to the 57th spot on the 2023 Tech Innovation Index, an improvement from its position at 69 in the 2022 index. The index rankings are based on three key metrics – tech worker supply, tech worker demand, and innovation.
The North Carolina Technology Association, in collaboration with Economic Leadership LLC, unveiled its third annual Tech Innovation Index report. This partnership, initiated in 2021, aims to evaluate North Carolina’s metro areas in comparison to other leading metro areas nationwide based on three vital metrics: tech worker supply, tech worker demand, and innovation.
Here’s what else you need to know from the Chamber’s ECO report:
- Knoxville MSA’s unemployment rate in September was 3.2% – up from 3.1% in August and up from 2.7% in September 2022.
- For the month of September, there were 9,864 unique active job postings in the Knoxville MSA.
- The October ADP National Employment Report shows a net gain of 113,000 in private-sector employment (up from the 89,000 net jobs gain in September.
- The national inflation rate from September 2022 to September 2023 is 3.7% – Last year, the national inflation rate was 8.2% from September 2021 to September 2022.
- Home sales in East Tennessee decreased 3% in September.
- New business licenses issued in September 2023 by Knox County are down 15.7% from August and are down 12.1% from September 2022.
