Scott County's unemployment picture steady as holiday season approaches
Local unemployment rate remains better than the national average. Plus: A look at ongoing growth in Scott County.
Good Monday morning! Welcome to a brand new week. This is The Daybreaker, the first of several newsletters that will be published this week by the Independent Herald. The Daybreaker (Monday) and The Weekender (Thursday evening) are our two news-first newsletters. We publish several other newsletters throughout the week, as well as our regular E-Edition on Thursday and our Varsity E-Edition on Sunday (during sports season). If you’d like to adjust your subscription to include (or exclude) this or any of our other newsletters, please do so here. If you need to subscribe, it’s as simple as entering your email address:
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Unemployment rate is steady in Scott County
The unemployment picture in Scott County showed almost no movement between August and September, and remains in an historically good place as the holiday season arrives.
According to the latest numbers from the TN Dept. of Labor & Workforce Development, released Thursday, Scott County’s unemployment rate was 4.1% in September. That’s unchanged from August’s seasonally-adjusted rate of 4.1%, and very similar to the September 2024 rate of 4.5%.
Over the past 12 months, Scott County’s jobless rate has ranged from 3.1% to 5.4%.
The state’s numbers estimate Scott County’s work force to be 8,996 as of September, of which 8,629 were employed and 367 were unemployed. Those numbers were virtually unchanged from August.
Statewide, the story was the same, as 39 counties featured unchanged unemployment rates in September. The jobless rate increased in 29 counties and decreased in 27 counties.
The state’s highest unemployment rate in September was found in Perry County, at 5.6%, followed by Hardeman County at 5.1%, and Lauderdale and Johnson counties at 5.0%. Rounding out the 10 highest unemployment rates were Meigs County at 4.9%, Greene County at 4.7%, and Shelby, Benton, Pickett and Hancock counties at 4.6%.
The state’s lowest unemployment rate was in Sevier and Williamson counties, at 2.8%, followed by Cheatham county at 2.9%. Rounding out the 10 lowest unemployment rates were Dickson, Rutherford, Sumner, Wilson, Macon, Davidson and Blount counties, at 3.0%.
Locally, Anderson County has an unemployment rate of 3.5% (up one-tenth of a point), Campbell County has an unemployment rate of 3.6% (up one-tenth of a point), Fentress County has an unemployment rate of 3.8% (up two-tenths of a point), and Morgan County has an unemployment rate of 3.9% (down two-tenths of a point).
Among major metropolitan areas in Tennessee, Nashville has the lowest unemployment rate at 3.0%, followed by Knoxville at 3.2%, Chattanooga at 3.4%, and Memphis at 4.6%
The statewide unemployment rate was 3.6% in September. The national unemployment rate was 4.4%.
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The Growth Chart
This Monday (and every Monday moving forward), we’ll present The Growth Chart, a look at recent and ongoing growth throughout Scott County.
Mountain People’s Health Councils: Mountain People’s recently debuted its new, state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging center at its Oneida campus, located on Industrial Lane.
University of Tennessee Medical Clinic: University of Tennessee Medical Center is preparing the long-abandoned medical facility between Plateau Electric Cooperative and the Scott County Food Court in south Oneida for a specialty clinic. The 8,000-square-foot building is slated to host University Midwives and UT Rheumatology Associates, according to signage. UTMC has not made a formal announcement.
Swan Hollow Brew Project: Oneida will soon have its second brewery. The father-and-son team of Jeff and Chris Swanson are planning Swan Hallow at 281 Underpass Drive in Oneida (former site of the Coffey Medical Center), according to the Scott County Chamber of Commerce. It will offer craft beer brewed on site, as well as food and entertainment. It will be Oneida’s second brewery. Big South Fork Brewing opened in the former First Trust & Savings Bank building on South Main Street earlier this year.
The Grizzly: The Grizzly is a locally-owned, dine-in restaurant located at 271 South Main Street in Oneida (former location of The Little Kitchen). It offers hand-cut steaks and hand-crafted burgers, among other items. The restaurant announced a limited menu on Dec. 7, one day after its soft opening after the annual Scott County Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade.
Long John Silver’s: A Long John Silver’s fast food seafood restaurant will soon be constructed at Oneida Plaza, on the south side of McDonald’s. Scott County Mayor Jerried Jeffers announced earlier this month that Oneida Plaza owner Mendy Bohm has entered into an agreement with the company, and the targeted opening date is August 2026.
Zaxby’s: Zaxby’s, the fast food chicken restaurant chain, has purchased 1.3 acres of property on Alberta Street, just north of the Oneida Municipal Services Building, and is currently preparing it for the start of construction.
Casey’s: The Casey’s pizza and convenience store chain is currently constructing a store on Alberta Street in Oneida, located “on the corner” at the site of the former 4WD Performance.
Package Stores: The Town of Oneida began accepting applications for certificates of compliance for liquor stores in May, following November 2024 referendums approved by voters of both the town and the county. Two package stores have since been permitted and are slated to open in the coming months. Lisa Meadows announced on Facebook on Dec. 2 that applications for employment are currently being accepted at one of those stores, which will be located in Oneida Plaza. Huntsville, too, will soon have a package store.
Dollar General: Following a failed attempt to place a store near the intersection of Coopertown Road and Cooper Lake Road in Oneida, Dollar General is in the process of purchasing property for a store a little further west, at the intersection of Coopertown Road and Smith Road. Scott County Mayor Jerried Jeffers made that announcement at a County Commission meeting in November. This will be Dollar General’s fifth location in Scott County, joining stores in Oneida, Huntsville, Robbins and Winfield. And it may not be the last. DG is currently eyeing potential locations in other parts of Scott County, though it has not finalized anything.
More to Come: There are several other businesses that are in the preliminary or planning stages, including some in Huntsville. No official announcements have yet been made, but could be forthcoming shortly.
The Week Ahead
☁️ Weather: We’ll still be chilly today, but with abundant sunshine and a warming trend underway. The next couple of days look great, with temperatures pushing 50° tomorrow as full sunshine continues. We’ll see rain on Thursday. Check out our daily Eye to the Sky updates on our Facebook page — published each morning at 7 a.m. on the dot — or always available at indherald.com.
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📅 Community Calendar
Monday: The Scott Appalachian Industries Senior Center in Huntsville will offer its walking program, puzzles and games, and massage chairs from 8:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. today and every weekday this week. Congregate meals are also available on-site at 12 p.m. each day, and are free to seniors ages 60 and over. You’re asked to call ahead, 423-663-9300. Additionally, gift wrapping will be offered today at 1 p.m. (please bring a roll of paper and ribbon).
Monday: Ridgeview Behavioral Health Services’ Mobile Health Clinic will be in the Walmart parking lot in Oneida from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., offering integrated primary care and behavioral health. No insurance is not a problem. Call (866) 599-0466 for more information.
Monday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will serve lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. The cost is $7 for dine-in or carry-out. Phone: (423) 569-5972.
Monday: Scott County Commission will meet in regular session at 5 p.m. at the Scott County Office Building in Huntsville.
Tuesday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will host exercise from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m.
Tuesday: Pinnacle Resource Center’s food pantry (1513 Jeffers Road, Huntsville) will be open beginning at 10 a.m. There are no income guidelines; however, a photo ID and a piece of mail with a Scott County address are required.
Tuesday: Robbins Elementary School Food Pantry will be open December 16 from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m. at Barton Chapel (5760 Scott Highway, Robbins). Turn onto School House Road at Keeton Monuments and follow it to the entrance of Barton Chapel (do not try to enter Barton Chapel from U.S. 27 please). Parents, grandparents, guardians or caregivers of a child attending Robbins Elementary School or Head Start are eligible to receive food.
Tuesday: Boy Scout Troop #333 will meet at the Oneida War Memorial Building on Alberta Street in Oneida beginning at 6 p.m.
Tuesday: In high school sports, Oneida will host Northview Academy (6 p.m.) and Scott High will host McCreary Central (6:30 p.m.). The Scott-McCreary game will be broadcast live on the IH Sports Network, beginning at 6 p.m.
Tuesday: Wall Builders will meet from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. at Trinity Baptist Church (1611 Glass House Road, Helenwood) for those struggling with addiction or striving to keep off drugs. There will be preaching, teaching, food, fellowship and personal counseling.
Wednesday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will serve lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. The cost is $7 for dine-in or carry-out.
Wednesday: The Scott Appalachian Industries Senior Center in Huntsville will offer Senior Meal Connect.
Thursday: The Gerry McDonald Mission House, located on Church Avenue, directly behind First United Methodist Church, is open from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. You are eligible to receive food once per month. 569-8828.
Thursday: The Scott County Senior Citizens Center (Main Street, Oneida) will host exercise from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m.
Thursday: The Scott Appalachian Industries Senior Center in Huntsville will offer crafts at 1 p.m.
Thursday: The Boards of Mayor and Aldermen in both Oneida and Huntsville will meet at 6 p.m., at the Oneida Municipal Services Building and the Huntsville Municipal Building, respectively.
Friday: The Scott Appalachian Industries Senior Center in Huntsville will offer its annual shopping trip at 8 a.m.
The Community Calendar is presented by Citizens Gas Utility District. You may recognize a natural gas leak by a rotten egg like smell or by a hissing sound. If you know of or suspect a leak, leave the area and then call your gas supplier or 911.Visit citizensgastn.com.
Thank you for reading. Our next newsletter will be Echoes in Time tomorrow. If you’d like to update your subscription to add or subtract any of our newsletters, do so here. If you haven’t yet subscribed, it’s as simple as adding your email address!
◼️ Monday morning: The Daybreaker (news & the week ahead)
◼️ Tuesday: Echoes in Time (stories of our history)
◼️ Wednesday: Threads of Life (obituaries)
◼️ Thursday evening: The Weekender (news & the weekend)
◼️ Friday: Friday Features (beyond the news)
◼️ Sunday: Varsity (a weekly sports recap)