The Governor’s state of the state address included funds for TDOT because revenue from gas taxes and other sources are falling short of the state’s needs. Channel 9 had a story on this might affect the supposed backlog of projects and whether revenue problems like this are a permanent feature. CRER director Howard Wall provided…
2/7/2025: Bird Flu Drives Egg Prices Up, Prompting Consumers to Seek Alternatives
NewsChannel 9 did a story about the rise in egg prices due to the spread of the avian flu: Howard Wall is UTC’s Director of the Center for Regional Economic Research. He says if you love eggs…”I’d find some temporary substitutes for your eggs, because I think this is going to be, they’re going to…
2/5/2025: Jobs and Unemployment Release for December 2024 from the BLS for Chattanooga
Today’s jobs and unemployment report provides a mixed picture of the Chattanooga MSA’s labor market: Job growth has been solid over the past twelve months, although it was essentially zero for two straight months. The unemployment rate kept steady for two months, but is half a point higher than in May of last year. Overall,…
2/3/2025: Local Alcohol Exports and Trump’s Tariffs on Canada and Mexico
NewsChannel 9 in Chattanooga had a story about how Canadian retaliation will affect local spirits production if President Trump’s threatened tariffs on Mexican and Canadian go through. CRER director and chief economist Howard Wall provided his views, which included:“They might just have these things in place for four years. If it’s a short term thing,…
1/22/2025: Wages in Chattanooga: Measurement, Trends, and Composition
This paper analyzes wage trends in the Chattanooga metro area between 2001 and 2023. Throughout this period, wages in the area were below those for the country as a whole. The first half of the period, which had two recessions, saw Chattanooga’s real median wage fall while the country’s rose. During the second half, however,…