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. In part because it experienced its own recession in 1997, recession has been more common in Chattanooga than elsewhere since 1990. This fact combined with its relatively large manufacturing sector and relatively small education and health sector has meant that Chattanooga’s job losses during recessions have tended to be larger than average. Chattanooga’s continuing reliance on manufacturing suggests that future recessions will be as costly as past ones. On the other hand, the area’s manufacturing sector has been transformed and is much more competitive than during previous recessions.
