Job Growth

[ATLBrain]

The numbers bear out what you guys have been talking about regarding the growth in Nashville. It stacks up very well against peer cities. Also, it appears that job growth is just now starting to build momentum. Very impressive.

Job growth for the Nashville region was 2.5 percent for the year that ended June 30, exceeding growth rates for several peer cities, excluding Raleigh, N.C., and Atlanta.

City / 2005 / 2006 / Job growth

Raleigh / 463,600 / 483,300 / 4.2%

Atlanta / 2,332,100 / 2,391,800 / 2.6%

Nashville / 729,600 / 747,500 / 2.5%

Charlotte / 791,400 / 808,400 / 2.1%

Memphis / 622,700 / 631,100 / 1.3%

Louisville / 613,200 / 619,500 / 1%

Indianapolis / 894,000 / 894,400 / 0%

SOURCE: BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, NON-FARM EMPLOYMENT

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar.../610050366/1003

On an unrelated note: A rising young associate in our office just took a weekend trip to Nashville, his first to the city. He came back with a very favorable impression of the city. He remarked on the usual things people note... your city's natural beauty, vibrancy, cleanliness, and apparent growth. But he added another facet of your fair city, the women. He went on and on about how many beautiful women he saw there. He said he wanted to transfer to our office there (I think he was actually serious about that too). What's noteworthy is that this guy is a stud with the ladies (completely not like me lol).

Also, he went to a wine festival on the Shelby Bridge. I agreed with him that Nashville is at a point where it's the perfect size (at least to our liking).

[BrandonTO416]

Those are respectable numbers.

[Lady Celeste]

It's good to see that most major cities in the south are experiencing job growth. I'm all for every city having at least 2% positive job growth. Congrats to the top four. Some of the south's (and country's) most influential cities are still growing.

[ATLBrain]

The other interesting tidbit in this article was the fact that the 7-county metro increased by 35,000 in the year. It's possible that the old metro will be around 1.6 million at the next census. I still don't remember the additional counties that were added b/c of Murfreesboro/Rutherford... but seems like I recall that Maury and Montgomery are still not included in the csa. Those two are about 230K (a/o 2006).

[MidTenn1]

The other interesting tidbit in this article was the fact that the 7-county metro increased by 35,000 in the year. It's possible that the old metro will be around 1.6 million at the next census. I still don't remember the additional counties that were added b/c of Murfreesboro/Rutherford... but seems like I recall that Maury and Montgomery are still not included in the csa. Those two are about 230K (a/o 2006).

Maury County is now part of either the Metro or Consolidated Metro, but I don't see Clarksville being included in Nashville's total anytime soon. It is a distinct Metro area of over 250,000 that includes Montgomery County, TN and Christian County KY (Hopkinsville) plus a couple of small Counties, I think. It will always be a sort of hidden population that strongly interacts with Nashville, but doesn't rate inclusion by the census Bureau.

So, if Nashville's metro population 'officially' hits 1.75 million in a few years, I will add the hidden 250 and toast the reaching of the 2,000,000 mark.