As the cost of living continues to rise, more Chattanoogans are seeking job search assistance.
The number of people served by Chattanooga’s three Goodwill Opportunity centers, which provide free job search and career advancement services, has grown by 176% over the past nine months, according to Goodwill officials.
So far this year, the centers have served 1,123 job seekers, up from 773 in 2025, according to statistics provided by Goodwill Industries of Greater Chattanooga.
Taryn Balwinski, manager of the East Brainerd Goodwill Opportunity Center, said she is seeing more people looking for another job or a better job in order to meet their basic needs, as well as more retirees reentering the workforce out of necessity.