Nashville Area May Weather Downturn

From the Tennessean (1/23/08), "David A. Penn, an economics professor at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, said the odds are evenly split between a recession and a less severe downturn.... Stagnant job growth alone does not mean a recession. . . . 'When we start to see losses in retailing, wholesaling and transportation jobs, that will be more of an indication of a recession. . . . But we haven't seen that yet.'"

Poverty Grows as Does Economy

From the Chattanooga Times Free Press (1-10-08), "'Part of the population is doing well and seeing income gains, but another part is falling behind,' said David Penn, director of the Business and Economic Research Center at Middle Tennessee State University. 'Those with the skills and education needed in today's global economy are doing well. But many others are not.'"

New Homes Slump to 2003 Level

From the Nashville Business Journal (1-18-08), "Middle Tennessee State University economist David Penn . . . isn't sure if the pick-up in commercial building and road construction is enough to offset the residential losses in Nashville."

Experts: Rutherford Economy Fine, but 'Shot in the Arm' Wouldn't Hurt

From the Daily News Journal (1/19/08), "The Nashville area and its surrounding counties are not facing the severity of the national economic problems, said David Penn, the director of MTSU's Business and Economic Research Center within the College of Business. . . . 'We're not going to do away with the recessions. What we can do is to try to anticipate them and try to minimize them.'"

Even Small Regional Banks Feel Pressure from Housing Market

From the Tennessean (1/21/08): "November building permits, the latest figures available from the U.S. Census Bureau and Middle Tennessee State University, were almost half of what they were during the same month a year ago in the Nashville area."

Tennessee Poverty Rate Rises More Quickly Than U.S. Rate

From the Tennessean (1/14/08): "David Penn, director of the Business and Economic Research Center at Middle Tennessee State University, called the trends 'troubling,' especially the increase among children.' For adults, 'it could be the loss of jobs in manufacturing,' Penn said.

"Large increases or decreases over a single year can indicate major changes, Penn said, or 'it could be due to the chance of the sample.'"

"According to the census figures, Rutherford County's poverty rate is increasing faster than any of Nashville's other neighbors."

Furniture, Decor Stores Suffer

From the Tennessean (1/11/08): "'Nationally, we're still looking for the bottom,' said David Penn, an economist at Middle Tennessee State University, regarding the housing market. 'I think we'll see a pretty weak year in 2008.'"

Tennessee's Business

Tennessee's Business ("Automotive Manufacturing" issue), published by the Business and Economic Research Center at Middle Tennessee State University, is now online. Says Senator Lamar Alexander: "I believe that Tennessee is poised in the next decade to become the leading state for auto parts suppliers in America."

Flat 2005 Income in Tennessee Puzzles Experts

From the Tennessean (1/10/08): "Middle Tennessee State University professor David Penn, who tracks the local economy, said the decline in income in several counties was 'unexpected. The puzzle is, why these negative figures for these big counties?'"

BERC Site Search

BERC now has a site-specific search feature on its home page (see site search link) that will allow you to search even within the pdf publications and PowerPoint presentations posted. Code is available on the site for adding this search form to your own website, allowing you and your site viewers to search BERC from there. (If you find anything not working on the site or have any suggestions for how we can make it better, please contact the webmaster.)

Tennessee Housing Market Brief

The first in a series of quarterly reports on the housing
market in Tennessee, supported by a Tennessee Housing
Development Agency grant: 3rd Quarter 2007 (pdf)

Dollar Helps Exports

From the Tennessean (1/06/08): "High energy prices in the end aren't good for the economy. 'At some point, inflationary pressure is going to outweigh the benefits of exports,' said Steve Livingston, an economist at Middle Tennessee State University.

Current Economic Indicators

For the Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro MSA (1/03/08)