Job growth slowed in the Chattanooga metro area in mid-2024 and has yet to rebound. The CRER’s forecasts for quarterly Chattanooga job growth through 2027 are provided by the blue bars in the middle figure. Job growth over the next five quarters is expected to be weak, primarily because of tepid growth at the national level. Elevated inflation, higher interest rates, and continuing tariff uncertainty should continue to hamper recovery in some sectors, including manufacturing.
The bottom figure shows the CRER forecasts by calendar years. Our main forecast is for a net increase of 1,100 jobs in 2026, mostly from the first half of the year. Our forecast of net job gains of 4,300 in Chattanooga in 2027 would mean a fourth straight year of below-normal job growth