Job seekers sign in before meeting prospective employers during a career in Dallas in this file photo.April unemployment* 5.4 percent in the Cleveland, Tenn., metro area, down from a peak of 10.6 percent in January 2010* 5.6 percent in the Chattanooga metro area, down from a peak of 10.2 percent in June 2009* 8.2 percent in the 2-county Dalton, Ga., metro area, down from a peak of 13 percent in July 2011* 6.3 percent for the U.S. as a whole, down from a peak of 10 percent in October 2009Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Georgia Department of Labor
Unemployment fell across the Chattanooga region last month to the lowest level in six years as the economy continued to rebound from the worst recession since before World War II.
With business expansions unveiled by carpet manufacturers in North Georgia earlier this spring and a pair of plastic makers announcing plans for new plants in LaFayette, Ga., and Chattanooga this week, economists predict the local unemployment rate should continue to drop below the state and national averages.
“Certainly, the worst of the recession is behind us and we think we’re looking at a period of sustained, and even faster, job growth this year,” said David Penn, director of the Business and Economic Research Center at Middle Tennessee State University. “We had a tough winter this year that held back some growth in the first quarter, but we expect to see faster employment growth for the balance of this year.”
The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development said Thursday that the jobless rate in the six-county Chattanooga metropolitan area fell by 0.9 percent during April to 5.6 percent. Neighboring metro Cleveland had an even bigger 1 percentage drop in unemployment last month to 5.4 percent.