Washington Countyâs elected government and education leaders were told Thursday the regionâs workforce has not seen the type of growth that is being experienced in other parts of Tennessee. Jon Smith, who heads East Tennessee State Universityâs Bureau of Businesses and Economic Research, said the labor market in Johnson City and Kingsport has been declining for nearly a decade. âOur region has been left out of the explosive gains that have been seen in Knoxville, Nashville and other parts of the state,â Smith told County Commissioners and county Board of Education members at a joint workshop held at the Jonesborough Visitors Center.