Today’s jobs and unemployment report provides a mixed picture of the Chattanooga MSA’s labor market: Job growth has been strong over the past twelve months, but unemployment rose somewhat from a relatively low rate. In addition, monthly job growth was zero, which followed two months of solid growth. Overall, the data indicate that the local…
1/1/25: What Will the New Year Bring for Chattanooga’s Economy?
The latest issue of the Chattanooga Times Free Press’s Edge magazine has CRER director and chief economist Howard Wall providing his perspective on the Chattanooga economy in 2025: Although Wall downgraded an earlier forecast for employment growth, the UTC economist still predicts metropolitan Chattanooga will add 6,700 jobs in the next year. That would be…
12/27/24: What a More Than $35 Trillion National Debt Could Mean for Chattanoogans
CRER director and chief economist Howard Wall and Scott L. Probasco Distinguished Chair of Free Enterprise Claudia Williamson Kramer provide their perspectives on the Federal debt. “In World War II, we borrowed a lot of money to finance buying weapons and arming the world to fight Nazis and Japan,” Howard Wall, chief economist at the…
12/20/24: Chattanooga Area Could See Closures and Furloughs if the Government Shuts Down
CRER director and chief economist Howard Wall gives his take on the effect on Chattanooga of a potential shutdown of the Federal government. The only people directly affected by a shutdown will be any furloughed federal employees who would have to go without payment until the government reopened, Wall said. “It’s inconvenient for federal employees,…
12/5/2024: How Might Trump Tariffs Affect Chattanooga?
CRER director Howard Wall appeared on WGOW(FM 102.3)’s Jed and JR Mornings to talk about the possible effects of incoming president Donald Trump’s threats to impose broad tariffs on imported goods. He also found out that he does not pronounce “Chattanooga” the way locals do. Listen to the interview here