Channel 3 News in Chattanooga had a story on President Trump’s tariffs and how they might affect the local economy. CRER director Howard Wall was featured and said that “The people who are going to be effected the most are households who are going to be paying much higher prices for some goods. Thousands of…
4/1/25: Liberation Day Tariffs: What’s at Stake for Students
The UTC student paper, University Echo, had a story about how President Trump’s tariff might affect students. CRER director Howard Wall said that tariffs are paid almost entirely by Americans and will result in higher prices for many things that students buy. Wall also warned about the broader effects in the event the tariffs spur…
3/29/25: Union Membership in Tennessee Declines 20%, Federal Data Says
CRER director Howard Wall commented on the reasons why union membership in Tennessee might have fallen 20 percent in just a year’s time: Looking at the numbers, Wall said fewer jobs in highly unionized industries — such as government service or manufacturing — could lead to a decline in the overall rate of unionization. Last…
3/20/25: What Do Chattanoogans Do For a Living?
A new white paper from the CRER describes the Chattanooga metro area economy in terms of the occupations of its residents. Looking at employment from the perspective of occupations rather than industries provides a better picture of the skills, training, and job types that underlie the economy. The largest occupation groups are fairly general in…
3/18/25: Home Loan Interest Rates Could Rise to 11.5% under Tennessee Bill
In a story on NewsChannel 9 in Chattanooga, CRER director Howard Wall gave his perspective on a proposal in the Tennessee legislature to change the method for calculating the maximum mortgage rate that can be charged in the state. The bill would peg the maximum mortgage interest rate at four percentage points above the average…