Sevier News Messenger Sevier County News and Opinion
Citizens who need to file an unemployment application, but lack a computer or internet service, may visit certain Sevier County Library branches to file their application.
Sevier County citizens who have been laid off due to the coronavirus, COVID-19, can file for unemployment. The easiest way to file is to access www.jobs4TN.gov, from home by using a computer, tablet or smartphone.
Those who are self-employed and/or contract (1099) workers are not eligible at this time to file for these unemployment benefits. However, this may change due to a pending bill in Congress.
Libraries Open for Filing Unemployment Applications
To help navigate the process, three local libraries are open to provide access to computers to complete unemployment applications. The libraries will be open Monday–Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The unemployment process will take a minimum of 30 minutes.
King Family Library
408
High St, Sevierville, TN 37862
(865) 453-3532
Anna Porter Library
158 Proffitt Rd, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
(865) 436-5588
Pigeon Forge Library
2449 Library Dr, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
(865) 429-7490
The opening of the libraries is to help filers with the unemployment process. There will not be unemployment experts on site.
Please only come to the center if you do not have access to the internet to file your unemployment application.
The libraries will not be open to the general public – they will only be open to file for unemployment.
For those who have a computer, tablet or phone and would just like to use the King Family Library’s WIFI, you may connect to the KFL Public WIFI from your vehicle in the parking lot. No password required.
Tennessee Regional Unemployment Filings
According to the Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development, there were 38,064 new unemployment claims statewide for the week ending March 21, 2020, with 6,854 in the East Tennessee region.
| Local Workforce Development Area | Number of New Claims |
| Greater Memphis | 4,355 |
| Northwest Tennessee | 511 |
| Southwest Tennessee | 518 |
| Northern Middle Tennessee | 16,993 |
| Southern Middle Tennessee | 1,992 |
| Upper Cumberland | 877 |
| Southeast Tennessee | 4,211 |
| East Tennessee | 6,854 |
| Northeast Tennessee | 1,616 |
| West TN Mobile American Job Center | 5 |
| Middle TN Mobile American Job Center | 122 |
| East TN Mobile America Job Center | 10 |
Access Library Materials During the Coronavirus Closure
Curbside Service for Library Materials
All Sevier County library branches are currently closed to the public. Library staff are answering phones and patrons may request materials in the library collections to be picked up curbside. Fines will be waived during the closure. Visit the Sevier County Public Library on Facebook for curbside program instructions.
Tennessee Electronic Library
The Tennessee Electronic Library (TEL) is a virtual library that gives Tennessee residents access to magazines, journals, newspapers, essays, e-books, primary source materials, test preparation, homework help, genealogy records, career search, and more! TEL resources are available free to the public from any computer with Internet access in Tennessee.
