August proved a big month for auto-parts suppliers announcing new business in Tennessee. State officials tallied more a thousand new jobs planned for the industry.
In early August a development publication ranked Tennessee first in Auto Manufacturing Strength. A burst of jobs announcements followed across the state, some for a few dozen, others for hundreds of jobs over the next few years.
David Cole of Michigan’s Center for Automotive Research says the supplier growth comes on the heels not of an auto-industry recession, but an auto depression.
“So with this dramatic restructuring, dramatic cutbacks, as the industry comes back we’re seeing significant hiring… Is it going to be the same numbers we used to have in this industry? No. It’s a much more productive industry, much more technically sophisticated. But it is certainly positive news for the economy.”
Cole says states like Tennessee are in good shape right now, in part thanks to a trend of southern migration in the auto industry. But he also cautioned some of the state’s advantages are fading, and said to stay competitive Tennessee will have to offer more educated workers.
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