The workforce in Knoxville’s 11-county region is approximately 450,000 people, with approximately 256,000 workers in Knox County alone, according to recent data from the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce.
The Knoxville Chamber of Commerce expects employment in the area to grow by 4,735 jobs, or 1.1%, from early 2024 to early 2025. This roughly matches Knox County’s annual population growth rate, which is the second highest in Tennessee.
Healthcare is the fastest growing sector in the Knoxville area and the most in-demand job is Registered Nurse with 693 active job postings.
The latest data on major employers released by the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce shows a diverse group of large companies. The chamber includes 11 counties with major employer data: Anderson, Brown, Granger, Hamblen, Jefferson, Knox, Loudoun, Monroe, Roane, Sevier and Union.
Some companies headquartered in Knoxville, such as Pilot and Tennessee Valley Authority, have a large enough workforce to be on the list. However, most of our employees are based outside the region, so they don’t fit into that box.
Here are the 12 largest employers in the region for 2023-2024. Has your company been listed?
12. Tennessee
Total number of employees in the Knoxville area: 3,811
Last year’s ranking: 12th
Trends in the number of employees: 698 employees added
Although Tennessee is based in the state capital, Nashville, the state government has a strong presence in the Knoxville area among economic development, highway patrol, planning, and transportation professionals.
11. Food City
Total employees in the Knoxville area: 4,023
Last year’s ranking: 10th
Change in number of employees: 279 fewer employees
Food City, owned by the company K-VA-T Food Stores, is the region’s fastest-growing grocery store chain. The company is headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia, near the North Carolina-Tennessee border, and operates 130 Food City stores and several others.
The company has signed a $20 million, 10-year naming rights agreement with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville for Thompson-Boling Arena in 2023. The basketball and concert venue is now called Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center.
10. Dollywood
Total employees in the Knoxville area: 4,500
Last year’s ranking: 9th place
Change in number of employees: No change
This beloved entertainment company is half-owned by Dolly Parton herself and includes Dollywood in Pigeon Forge and Dollywood Splash Country. The theme park has won industry awards for the past two years and ranks higher than Disney World in the eyes of experts.
9. Rourke Capital Group
Total number of employees in the Knoxville area: 4,608
Last year’s ranking: 11th
Change in number of employees: 735 more employees
This $37 billion private equity firm based in Atlanta is a name you’ve probably never heard of. But you probably know the names of the brands we invest in: Arby’s, Auntie Anne’s, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin’ Donuts, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Sonic, and Subway, just to name a few. And so on.
8. DENSO
Total number of employees in the Knoxville area: 5,000
Last year’s ranking: 8th place
Change in number of employees: No change
This Japanese auto parts giant makes parts for nearly every vehicle make and model on the road. The company has been manufacturing electrical and safety components in the area since 1988, when it opened a factory in Maryville. McMinn County is outside the Knoxville area, but Athens just announced a $100 million expansion.
7. Clayton
Total employees in the Knoxville area: 5,047
Last year’s ranking: 7th place
Change in number of employees: No change
Clayton (commonly referred to as Clayton Homes) is a Maryville-based company with major housing divisions, as well as 21st Mortgage Corp. and Vanderbilt Mortgage. Since 2003, the company has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Warren Buffett’s holding company, Berkshire Hathaway.
6. UT Medical Center
Total number of employees in the Knoxville area: 5,387
Last year’s ranking: 6th place
Change in number of employees: No change
Owned and operated under the nonprofit University Health Systems, UT Medical Center is the region’s academic medical center and the region’s largest hospital. We are expanding our presence in rural areas and operating clinics that provide world-class medical care, in some cases free of charge.
5.Walmart
Total Knoxville Area Employees: 6,614
Last year’s ranking: 5th place
Change in number of employees: 249 fewer employees
Walmart may be the world’s largest employer, but it’s also one of the top five largest employers in the Knoxville area, with 6,234 employees at Walmart stores and 380 at Sam’s Club stores. There is.
4. Knox County Schools
Total number of employees in the Knoxville area: 10,118
Last year’s ranking: 3rd place
Changes in number of employees: 71 people added
Knox County Schools’ vast workforce serves more than 60,000 students in four kindergartens, 52 elementary schools, 17 middle schools, and 17 high schools. The district has focused in recent years on improving student safety and integrating new technology, such as AI tools, into classrooms.
3. University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Total number of employees in the Knoxville area: 11,197
Last year’s ranking: 4th place
Trends in number of employees: 1,898 employees added
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, added a staggering 1,898 employees to the region in just one year, quickly climbing the list. With a record 38,728 students enrolled at its flagship campus this year, the state’s university system is on track to exceed its 2030 enrollment goal.
This figure includes 3,437 temporary employees but does not include student employees. If the data included UT’s reported 9,687 student employees, it would definitely be the top employer in the region.
2. Covenant Health
Total Knoxville Area Employees: 11,963
Last year’s ranking: 2nd place
Change in number of employees: Add 50 employees
Covenant Health operates approximately 180 hospitals and clinics in East Tennessee, the largest of which are Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center and Parkwest Medical Center. The company has secured naming rights to the new Old City Baseball Stadium, which will open in 2025 as Covenant Health Park.
1. U.S. Department of Energy
Total Knoxville Area Employees: 16,975
Last year’s ranking: 1st place
Change in number of employees: 800 employees added
The Department of Energy still owns most of Oak Ridge, the first planned city of the Manhattan Project, but calling it the region’s largest employer is complicated. Only a few hundred people are directly employed by the DOE in Oak Ridge. The remainder are employed through federal contractors.
UT-Battelle, the nonprofit corporation that operates Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has approximately 6,000 employees. Consolidated Nuclear Security, the federal contractor for the Y-12 National Security Facility, employs approximately 8,600 people. As Y-12’s nuclear mission expands, so does its workforce.
The Oak Ridge Department of Environmental Management employs 2,375 people in partnership with cleanup contractor United Cleanup Oak Ridge (UCOR).
Daniel Dassault is a growth and development reporter focused on technology and energy. Phone number 423-637-0878. Email daniel.dassow@knoxnews.com.
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