Memphis received a boost with the latest round of new jobs data for metropolitan areas nationwide.
According to a report by the Greater Memphis Chamber’s Center for Economic Competitiveness, April saw the Greater Memphis region reach a record-high level of 661,400 jobs. The numbers continue an upward trend from March of this year, when the region recovered all the jobs that were lost during the Covid-19 pandemic.
National job growth continued to rise slowly in April at 0.3 percent. Greater Memphis’ job growth continued on par with the national average in April 2022 seasonally adjusted nonfarm payroll estimates. And between March and April 2022, local seasonally adjusted estimates rose by 2,300 jobs (0.35 percent).
Select peer metro areas have also seen a full recovery to March 2020 employment figures. And per the April 2022 report, Greater Memphis’ growth percent relative to March 2020 (+1.05 percent) surpasses that of Birmingham Metro (+0.15 percent), Louisville Metro (+0.31 percent), and Oklahoma City Metro (+0.67 percent).
Locally, the construction sector has seen the largest growth, of 7.59 percent over March 2020. Hospitality and leisure industries are still playing catch up, but have improved to just -1.97 percent short of March 2020 levels, with much of the summer season still to come. Per the report, education and health have been inert, with an average of 5 percent less employment than March 2020.
