Media
Nashville Area's Consumer Debt Level Ticks Higher
Tennessean (Feb. 7, 2012)
People typically borrow and spend more when they're feeling better about the economy, said David Penn, a Middle Tennessee State University economist.
Auto Suppliers Bring Additional Jobs to Middle Tennessee
News Sentinel (Jan. 30, 2012); Tennessean (Jan. 20, 2012)
For each direct new hire made by the automakers themselves, there will be as many as three new positions created by suppliers to the auto plants, many of which will locate close to the vehicle-assembly facilities, said David Penn, an economist at Middle Tennessee State University who tracks employment trends.
TACIR, MTSU Tracking Tennessee's Economic Recovery (p. 4)
Tennessee County News (page 4, Jan. 26, 2012)
TACIR is collabo- rating with Middle Tennessee State University's Business & Economic Research Center to provide a web site (http://mtsu.edu/berc/tacir) to track the state's economy during the recovery from the recession that be- gan in December 2007.
Tennessee Jobless Rate Hits 3-Year Low in December
Tennessean (Jan. 20, 2012)
Construction and manufacturing now are leading the healing of Tennessee's labor market. "The strength in those sectors now is pretty surprising," said David Penn, a Middle Tennessee State University economist and director of its Business and Economic Research Center. An uptick in multifamily housing projects and commercial ventures, such as Nashville's Music City Center, probably is behind the recent growth in construction jobs, he said. Automotive-related industries, led by Volkswagen's new Chattanooga plant, are leading the job gains in manufacturing, Penn said.
Industry Snapshot: The Highs and Lows of Theme Parks
Nashville Business Journal (Jan. 19, 2012)
"Industries that depend on entertainment dollars do well when the economy's growing," said David Penn, director of the Business and Economic Research Center at Middle Tennessee State University. "There will be ups-and-downs in the future." Penn said geography is also a strength, and that the park's overall economic impact will depend on its ability to draw new people or keep people from leaving for attractions elsewhere.
Nashville Rises in Brookings' Economic Rankings
Tennessean (Jan. 19, 2012)
MTSU economist David Penn: "I've been impressed with the drops in the unemployment rate in Nashville. It's less than 8 percent now, and that's because we're generating jobs, not because people have stopped looking for work. The question is, can it be sustained? I think it's likely, but there are risks ahead."
Fewer People Move to Tennessee
Tennessean (Dec. 25, 2011)
Fewer jobs were available to draw people to new locations, and falling home prices made it tough for people to sell a house and move to another state, said David Penn, an economist at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro.
Euro's Woes May Lead to Bargain Imports
Tennessean (Dec. 24, 2011)
"At the moment, I don't think there's much of an effect on purchases from Europe, and historically it has taken about six to nine months for exchange-rate changes to show up in Tennessee trade data," said Steven Livingston, a professor at Middle Tennessee State University who tracks trade and currency fluctuations.
Despite Difficulties, Tennessee Exports to Europe Up
WPLN (Dec. 16, 2011)
Tennessee companies sent close to a billion dollars worth of goods to Europe in the third quarter, that's more than what was exported to China. MTSU's Steven Livingston says while some European countries are having big problems, not all have gone down the drain.
TNTrade Initiative Seeks to Boost Tenn. Exports
WMOT.org (Dec. 8, 2011)
Despite Difficulties, Tennessee Exports to Europe Up
WPLN (Dec. 16, 2011)
Tennessee companies sent close to a billion dollars worth of goods to Europe in the third quarter, that's more than what was exported to China. MTSU's Steven Livingston says while some European countries are having big problems, not all have gone down the drain.
TNTrade Initiative Seeks to Boost Tenn. Exports
WMOT.org (Dec. 8, 2011)
Despite Difficulties, Tennessee Exports to Europe Up
WPLN (Dec. 16, 2011)
Tennessee companies sent close to a billion dollars worth of goods to Europe in the third quarter, that's more than what was exported to China. MTSU's Steven Livingston says while some European countries are having big problems, not all have gone down the drain.
TNTrade Initiative Seeks to Boost Tenn. Exports
WMOT.org (Dec. 8, 2011)
Middle Tennessee State University economist Steven Livingston studies Tennessee exports. He says there is room for improvement: "If you look around the state there's lots of firms that should be looking at foreign markets that aren't. We're still a little bit behind a lot of the United States in the percentage of our firms that are exporting. So there are definitely sound ground to be gained there."
Tennessee Program Aims to Boost Exports
Tennessean (Dec. 7, 2011)
Tennessee firms exported nearly $7.5 billion worth of goods in the third quarter, a 10-percent gain from the comparable year-ago period, according to Middle Tennessee State University's Business and Economic Research Center.
Red States, Green Jobs
Governing.com (December, 2011)
All totaled, 10,000 green jobs will be created in the state between now and 2014, according to a recent report by the Business and Economic Research Center at Middle Tennessee State University and the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
The Health of the Country's Native American Populations May Depend in Part on MTSU Research
MTSU Magazine (November, 2011)
When the United South and Eastern Tribes Inc. (USET) wanted to learn the true cost of providing health care to members of 26 American Indian tribes in 12 states, and whether adequate resources were being allocated, they turned to Dr. Murat Arik, associate director of MTSU's Business and Economic Research Center (BERC).
No Longer Made in China: U.S. Companies Start Re-Importing Some Jobs; Tennessee Companies Benefit
Tennessean (Oct. 16, 2011)
An analysis last year by Middle Tennessee State University economist Steven Livingston found the state generates almost twice the number of requests for trade adjustment aid than one would expect based on the number of manufacturing businesses. Livingston attributed that to two factors. First, many of Tennessee's manufacturing plants are branches owned by out-of-state companies, and Tennessee plants are more likely to be located in rural areas. Such sites are often among the first to be closed when the economy plummets.