After the arrival of the railroads in the 1850s, Knoxville grew to become a
major wholesaling and manufacturing center. Following the collapse of the
city's textile industry in the 1950s, Knoxville's economy grew more
diversified. In 2011, 15.9% of the Knoxville Metropolitan Statistical Areas
(MSA) work force was employed by government entities, while 14.1% were employed
in the professional service sector, 14% worked in education or health care,
12.7% were employed in the retail sector, 10.5% worked in leisure and
hospitality, and 8.9% worked in the manufacturing sector. The region had an
unemployment rate of 7.9%
