International Industry Drawn to Hamblen County
Competitive salaries, low unionization, lower payroll costs, positive government-industry relations, a healthy economy, and a regional labor force combine to form a pro-business climate in Hamblen County that attracts industry from around the world.
Industrial managers have ranked Hamblen County as an excellent place to live and do business for a number of reasons. Geographic location was identified as the best feature of the county, followed closely by wage rates, work ethic and cost of living. More than half of local executives surveyed report that the county’s business climate continues to improve, and firms of all sizes are planning capital expenditure, R&D research, employment growth and facility expansions.
Hamblen County’s role as a regional employment center continues to grow. As the geographic center of East Tennessee, Morristown pulls most of its labor force from Hamblen and seven surrounding counties with a combined population of more than 309,000 people. The area population has grown steadily each decade, and Hamblen County has experienced phenomenal growth in recent years.
The relationship between management and labor receives high marks in Hamblen County, according to a recent survey conducted by the Tennessee Business Retention and Expansion (R&E) Program. When asked to rate labor-management relations in both the community and within their own firm, at least 94 percent of the managers responded with good and very good ratings.
Population Makes for Diverse Labor Force
The area workforce received high ratings from 81 percent of the industrial executives surveyed. More than half the managers in the R&E Study reported absenteeism rates of 5 percent or less, and 92 percent of the respondents ranked turnover as low or average compared with competitors.
Productivity rates ranked high, and labor costs were rated good or very good by 75 percent of the industry leaders. According to 1990 census figures, 40 percent of the Hamblen County population worked in manufacturing, 22 percent in service professions, and 17 percent in retail.
Hamblen County is the employment hub, with more than 20,000 people living and working here and around 9,000 commuting in to the county to work. Only 2,700 commute out of Hamblen County for employment, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. Residents in eight closest counties drive into Hamblen County in half an hour or less.
The unemployment rate in Hamblen County was only 6.6 percent in 1994, down from a 1980s average of 9.5 percent. The annual average rate for 1995 was 6.8. However, several surrounding counties had higher rates – up to 11.2 percent – and more people in need of work.
The average per capita income in the Hamblen County Labor Market Area in 1998 was $22,913, up 36 percent since 1979.
In the R&E Study, three managers out of four reported that their firms definitely or probably would expand employment within the next three to five years. The Morristown Area Chamber of Commerce is known throughout the state of Tennessee for its industrial recruitment, and the job is made easier by the quality of the people living and working in East Tennessee.
Population Growth
Population for the Labor Market Area |
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| Land Area (Square Miles) |
1960 | 1970 | 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | |
| Hamblen Co. Claiborne Co. Cocke Co. Grainger Co. Greene Co. Hancock Co. Hawkins Co. Jefferson Co. |
161 434 434 280 622 222 487 274 |
33,092 19,067 23,390 12,506 42,163 7,757 30,468 21,493 |
38,696 19,420 25,283 13,948 47,630 6,719 33,757 24,940 |
49,300 24,595 28,792 16,751 54,422 6,887 43,751 31,284 |
50,480 26,137 29,141 17,095 55,853 6,739 44,565 33,016 |
58,128 29,862 33,565 20,659 62,909 6,786 53,563 44,294 |
| Total Area | 2,915 | 189,936 | 210,393 | 255,782 | 263,026 | 309,766 |
Labor Statistics
Population Statistics, Employment Figures
| 2000 Age Distribution for the Labor Market Area | |||||||
| Area | 0-4 | 5-19 | 20-24 | 25-54 | 55-64 | 65+ | Total |
| Hamblen Co. Claiborne Co. Cocke Co. Grainger Co. Greene Co. Hancock Co. Hawkins Co. Jefferson Co. Total |
3,488 1,791 2,014 1,240 3,775 404 3,213 2,658 18,583 |
12,207 6,868 7,049 4,338 12,582 1,481 11,248 9,302 65,075 |
4,069 2,090 2,350 1,446 4,404 472 3,749 3,986 22,566 |
25,286 12,542 14,433 8,883 27,050 2,627 23,033 18,161 132,015 |
5,813 2,688 3,356 2,066 6,920 674 5,356 4,429 31,302 |
7,265 3,882 4,363 2,686 8,178 1,078 6,963 5,758 40,173 |
58,128 29,862 33,565 20,659 62,909 6,736 53,563 44,294 309,716 |
| Source: Census of Population | |||||||
The Hamblen County Labor Market Area will provide your company
with an annual average of 2,000 world class high school graduates.
High School Graduates 2001/2002 |
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| Hamblen Co. Claiborne Co. Cocke Co. Grainger Co. Greene Co. Hancock Co. Hawkins Co. Jefferson Co. |
476 221 233 187 549 86 188 325 |
|
| Total | 2,265 | |
Source: Morristown Area Chamber of Commerce |
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| Average Travel Time to Work | |||||
| Area | Travel Time (Minutes) | Place of Work | |||
In County of Residence |
Outside County of Residence |
Outside State of Residence |
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| Hamblen Co. | 17.6 | 20,131 | 3,353 | 194 | |
| Claiborne Co. | 22.6 | 6,831 | 1,261 | 1,917 | |
| Cocke Co. | 23.9 | 7,986 | 4,066 | 146 | |
| Grainger Co. | 26.1 | 2,964 | 4,261 | 47 | |
| Greene Co. | 19.6 | 22,417 | 3,058 | 190 | |
| Hancock Co. | 23.6 | 1,378 | 579 | 53 | |
| Hawkins Co. | 21.7 | 9,516 | 9,131 | 445 | |
| Jefferson Co. | 21.7 | 7,705 | 7,095 | 148 | |
Source: TVA Economic Development Technical Services and the Census of Population
