The CRER has released its updated forecasts for job growth in the Chattanooga metro area:
Partly because Chattanooga’s fourth quarter job growth was weaker than expected, the near term outlook has been downgraded. The CRER’s previous forecast was for job growth of at least 1.5 thousand per quarter throughout 2025, for a total of 6.7 thousand more jobs by the end of the year. The new forecast is for positive but weak job growth early in the year and for annual job growth of 5.3 thousand.
The consensus for 2026 is that inflation will ease and Fed policy will loosen, providing boosts to industrial production and the local economy. The 7.1 thousand additional jobs forecast for Chattanooga in 2026 are under that ideal scenario.