Over the past decade, the economy of the Chattanooga metro area has outperformed that of the country as a whole. Between January 2014 and December 2023, the number of nonfarm jobs (also called payroll employment) rose by 18.8 percent in the Chattanooga metro area, but by only 14 percent in the United States. The COVID…
3/23/2024: Recession and Recovery in Chattanooga
Although recessions are usually thought of as national-level events, there can be substantial differences across states and metro areas in when they occur. This paper determines and compares the timing of recessions for Chattanooga and four nearby metro areas. The shaded areas in the chart are the periods of recession in the Chattanooga metro area.…
3/21/2024: Chattanooga and Its Regional Economy
The Chattanooga metro economy does not exist in a vacuum. Like every other metro area in the United States, it is subject to the ups and downs of the national economy. If the U.S. economy is doing well then Chattanooga’s probably is, too. Given its location, geography also plays a role. Chattanooga lies at the…
3/21/2024: The UAW, VW, and the Chattanooga Economy
A Channel 9 story on the UAW unionization drive at the VW plant in Chattanooga featured commentary from CRER director Howard Wall on the possible effects on the Chattanooga economy.
3/9/2024: More Housing Lowers the Price of Housing
The Chattanooga Times Free Press had an interesting analysis of the housing situation in Chattanooga. In it, CRER chief economist Howard Wall expressed his view that increased supply reduces price and that zoning reform will help. Read the article in the Chattanooga Times Free Press