[Johnny Ryall]

Report: Memphis recovering from recession
Memphis Business Journal

Memphis is beginning to recover from the recession, according to the Adversity Index published by msnbc.com and Moody’s Economy.com. Memphis was boosted by a 23.8 percent increase in housing starts compared to 2008, even though employment fell 2.2 percent and industrial production was down 4 percent.

Chattanooga, Clarksville, Cleveland, Tenn., and Johnson City were also considered to be “recovering” by the end of 2009, according to the analysis, while Nashville, Jackson, Bristol and Morristown were all still in recession. The state as a whole was considered to be recovering.