Chattanooga job growth could normalize after slow year

The Chattanooga region saw a net gain of 2,000 jobs in 2025. Excluding the pandemic, that makes it the weakest year for job growth since 2014.

However, that rate could increase over the next couple years, with the region seeing a net increase of 5,000 jobs in 2026 and 7,000 in 2027, according to a report from the Center for Regional Economic Research at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Job growth in the first half of 2026 will likely remain relatively weak, the report predicts, before slowly rising and normalizing by the end of the year.

(READ MORE: After a flat year, Chattanooga economist says region could see weak job growth)