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Report: Tennessee Ranks High in Projected Electric Vehicle Jobs, Lags In Charging Ports

A Ford 150 Lightning photographed at Town and Country Ford in Madison, Tenn. (Photo: John Partipilo)

As the Southeast continues to draw in electric vehicle and battery manufacturers, Tennessee ranks near the top of the list for anticipated jobs and investment, according to a new report examining electric transportation in the region.

But despite seeing the highest rate of growth in publicly accessible electric vehicle chargers — rapid charging ports increased 60 percent over last year in Tennessee — the state still lags well behind national and regional figures for chargers per person.

The report was the fifth annual study prepared by Washington, D.C.-based data analysis firm Atlas Public Policy for the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, a renewable energy advocacy nonprofit. It explores the momentum of the electric transportation industry in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

Those six states have more than 100 facilities dedicated to electric vehicle (EV) and battery manufacturing, making up 31 percent of the 238,000 EV jobs announced in the U.S. as of June. Of $205 billion in announced investments in the EV industry in the United States, 38 percent will land in the Southeast region, according to the report.

What to know: The new Ford BlueOval City plant poised to reshape West Tennessee

Georgia ranks highest in the region with 27,394 total anticipated EV manufacturing jobs, with Tennessee’s 16,164 expected jobs coming in second.

Tennessee’s high ranking is in large part due to a Ford electric vehicle plant and battery manufacturing plant under construction in rural West Tennessee. BlueOval City and BlueOval SK, a joint venture of Ford and SK On, represents a $5.6 billion investment and accounts for 5,800 anticipated jobs once the site is up and running.

While growth in EV manufacturing continues, the report notes that Southeastern states have struggled with engaging utilities and expanding charging infrastructure. 

“Addressing these areas will be crucial for the region to fully capitalize on its potential in the evolving EV landscape,” the report states.

Market share

Tennessee’s 4.5 percent EV sales market share for light-duty vehicles in the Southeast falls near the middle of the pack, above Alabama and South Carolina but significantly below North Carolina, Georgia and Florida, which ranks first with an 8.9 percent market share.

Tennessee logged 43,319 cumulative EV sales between July 2023 and June 2024, the report states. That’s an annual growth of 42 percent, exceeding the national average of 37 percent.

New light-duty EV sales dipped in the first quarter of 2024, nationally and in the Southeast, but sales have begun to trend back up in most southeastern states, according to the report.

Charging ports

Tennessee saw the highest rate of growth in publicly accessible rapid EV chargers, increasing by 60 percent compared with last year. But the state’s 0.31 chargers per 1,000 people still falls well under the national average of 0.53, and 0.40 in the Southeast.

Tennessee has 583 fast-charging ports and 1,558 other charging ports, according to the report.

Tennessee and Georgia are the only two states in the study area to award federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) funding to build chargers where they are lacking along busy thoroughfares.

Tennessee awarded $21.9 million from the first round of NEVI funds for 31 fast-charging sites along the state’s major highways in January 2024. The money was matched by $10.7 million in private-sector investments.

Construction and production delays

The report notes that a Rivian plant in Georgia and a VinFast facility in North Carolina have delayed construction “due to unforeseen challenges or barriers to starting up production,” while Hyundai’s Metaplant in Georgia is moving ahead of schedule.

Ford announced in August that it would delay production at BlueOval City until 2027 as the company shifts its strategy toward prioritizing hybrid vehicles and lowering battery production costs. Ford initially planned to launch production of its next-generation pickup truck in 2025.

BlueOval SK at BlueOval City will begin producing battery cells in late 2025 to power electric commercial vans produced at the company’s Ohio assembly plant. BlueOval SK will begin manufacturing batteries for Ford’s E-Transit and F-150 Lightning at its Kentucky battery plant in mid-2025.

Public funding

Only Alabama increased state funding for electric transportation in the last year, the report states. 

Tennessee ranks second in the region for public funding per capita with a total $277 million approved, $266.5 million which comes from federal government programs.

The report doesn’t include loans or tax credits in states’ public funding totals.

Tennessee lawmakers approved a $900 million incentive package for Ford in October 2021, including a $500 million reimbursement for construction work on the megasite. The funding is contingent on job creation.

The federal government also offers tax credits through the Inflation Reduction Act for production of batteries and battery materials and advanced energy products, the report notes. Thus far, two projects in Alabama and one project each in Tennessee, Georgia, and South Carolina will take advantage of those credits, according to the report.

Union activity

The last 12 months have seen aggressive campaigning from the United Auto Workers union in auto manufacturing plants throughout the country. Following UAW’s strike against Detroit’s “Big Three” (Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis) in 2023, the UAW announced that it would commit $40 million toward organizing through 2026, focusing on the South, the report states.

Republican lawmakers make vocal push against Chattanooga VW plant union effort

The unionization campaign drew opposition from Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee in addition to the governors of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas.

“Unionization would certainly put our states’ jobs in jeopardy,” the governors wrote in a joint statement issued in April. 

Tennessee had two major union developments at automotive plants in 2024. In April, 4,300 Volkswagen Chattanooga employees became the first Southern auto workers outside of the Big Three to unionize. In September, Spring Hill’s Ultium plant, a joint venture from General Motors and LG Energy Solution, notched another union victory. The plant shipped its first battery cells to General Motors in March, two and a half years after breaking ground at the new facility.

Outside of Tennessee, United Steelworkers ratified their first contract at the Blue Bird facility in Georgia in 2024. But a union vote at an Alabama Mercedes-Benz plant failed in May.

Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com. Follow Tennessee Lookout on Facebook and X.

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Opinion The Last Word

Tacos and Labor Abuse

Taco truck immigration diplomacy is not going to cut it. (Photo: Nathan Dumlao | Unsplash)

Everyone loves tacos, but most of us don’t think too much about how they’re made, or who, in fact, makes them. That all changed here in Memphis, thanks to a recent story in the Commercial Appeal by veteran reporter Daniel Connolly, an expert on the local and national Hispanic community.

The Covid-19 pandemic dramatically shifted the labor market locally and nationally; employees asked for protection during the deadly phase of the infection, and many have since declined to return to unfulfilling — sometimes dangerous — minimum-wage jobs. As a result, ubiquitous “We’re Hiring” signs hang in windows across Memphis and the country.

Currently, with about 11 million unfilled jobs in the United States and an estimated 4 million workers “displaced” from the labor market due to Covid and the continued effects of “long-Covid,” employers are scrambling for employees who now don’t want to work under pre-Covid terms. Laborers are not returning to degrading low pay that doesn’t translate to a “living wage” — or at least compensation and benefits that fully acknowledge their contributions to the business.

Americans aren’t lazy — they’re just fed up. As American corporate profits soar, a South African megalomaniac (“the richest man in the world”) buys Twitter for $44 billion, and a Portuguese soccer player grabs $167 million per year in pay and endorsements, it’s understandable why there’s little motivation to return to a $7.25 an hour job here in the U.S. Congress refuses to move on a federal minimum wage, and the Tennessee General Assembly is content with its citizens earning a pittance. Each relies on the same old tired arguments: Raising the minimum wage, they tell us with neither conviction nor data, will lead to unemployment. Reminding our friends in Congress of the 11 million jobs that are unfilled, presently, doesn’t seem to register.

Hence, the long gaze south. Connolly’s report focuses on a local restaurateur/taco operation who, like most restaurant owners in our city, has struggled in the nearly impossible labor market outlined above. Why not open our southern border to allow for labor flow from Mexico? The minimum wage there is currently the equivalent of $8 per day — or $160 per month. Given that grim reality, $7.25 per hour sounds pretty damn good.

No workable legal pathway exists to bring “low-skilled” people from Mexico here. So people cross the border illegally. Many of these people are “pulled” here by unscrupulous business owners in the United States who need a stable labor force to stay in business and by offering, via Facebook, Twitter, or some other electronic medium that penetrates borders, “a 100-percent safe trip, but without a visa.”

Working without proper documentation (a visa) in the United States is not legal, and soliciting workers with offers of a visa-less “safe trip” sounds remarkably close to trafficking. It will certainly attract the attention of the United States Department of Labor in Washington, especially when the pay advertised clearly violates federal overtime laws.

In the end, taco truck immigration diplomacy is not going to cut it. We need leadership from Washington right now because only the federal government can set, change, and update immigration policy. If we want to avoid more potential employer trafficking, reduce the flow of unauthorized border crossings, and make a dent in the 11 million unfilled jobs in the U.S., Biden will need to lead on immigration reform.

The “other side” in Congress has focused on pure nonsense for the past two years: defending a lunatic who once was president of the U.S., spewing conspiracy theories about a stolen election, and working to take rights away from women. There’s no hope they will join in for a real solution, so before losing control of the House, Biden should push for passage of the Dream Act (filibuster be damned!), which would regularize the status of millions while permanently welcoming them into the labor force.

Biden should also work to modernize our 1960s-style (i.e. outdated) visa system to attack the long backlogs of pending applications.

Both moves would require federal action. The benefits: Our contemporary labor/immigration crisis could be managed out of Washington via responsible legislation rather than from the back of a taco truck parked on Summer Avenue.

Bryce W. Ashby is an attorney at Donati Law, PLLC. Michael J. LaRosa is an associate professor of history at Rhodes College.

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News News Blog News Feature

Greater Memphis Chamber Releases Jobs Update for May

(Credit: Pixabay)

The number of jobs in Memphis may have dropped slightly in May, but the figure still remains at one of its highest levels in decades.

According to a May 2022 jobs brief by the Greater Memphis Chamber’s Center for Economic Competitiveness, the Greater Memphis region saw a 0.2 percent (1,800 jobs) drop in the number of employed people after record highs in March and April, due to uncertainty over inflation and the national economy. But the total number of jobs in Greater Memphis currently stands at 659,600, which is 0.25 percent higher than pre-pandemic levels.

And the current market is still higher than the previous record set in February 2020, with an estimated 657,900 jobs.

“Greater Memphis continues to show strong signs of recovery from the worst pandemic in modern history,” said Ted Townsend, chief economic development officer, and president- and CEO-elect, for the Greater Memphis Chamber. “At the same time, we know there are areas where we, as a region, can improve. As we work to make Memphis the No. 1 economic development destination in the nation, the Chamber is already developing the inclusive talent pipelines that new and existing businesses need to accelerate our momentum.”

The report also detailed job growth by industry. Construction continues to surge, as it leads regional recovery at 10.67 percent growth over March 2020, followed by Trade/Transportation/Utilities (7.3 percent) and Business Services (6.5 percent). Per the report, small drops for Information, Financial Activities, and Other Services are likely byproducts of inflation. However, the Education and Health industries continue to see their recovery lag behind other sectors, with employment standing at -6.6 percent below pre-pandemic numbers.

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News News Blog

Memphis Flyer Seeks News Reporter

CREDIT: Unsplash

Unsplash

The Memphis Flyer is a locally owned and operated alternative newsweekly now in its fourth
decade of asking questions, sharing stories, and keeping our community informed.

The Flyer seeks a curious and focused journalist who aims to make Memphis a better place. The reporter will conduct research, interview sources, and write engaging stories to inform, captivate, and grow our audience in the Flyer’s weekly print publication and on its daily website. The
successful candidate is self-motivated, a clear communicator, and dedicated to producing high-quality, original, local journalism.

Skills:

• Staying up-to-date on current events in Memphis to predict and cover rising news stories
Collecting, verifying, and analyzing newsworthy information through strong digital searches and a basic understanding of public records

• Strong writing skills and the ability to convey clear, concise information to the Flyer
readership

• Keeping an open mind to tell stories you won’t find in other Memphis media

• Understanding of basic AP Style and the ability to adapt to the Memphis Flyer style guide

• Interacting professionally, building a network of sources within the community, and
conducting thoughtful, direct interviews

• Shooting digital photos and videos on a smartphone

Duties and Responsibilities:
• Meeting weekly and daily story deadlines

• Evaluating leads

• Pitching story ideas to editors

• Revising and editing work for editorial approval

• Collaborating with other reporters, editors, and production staff

• Taking photographs and recording video and audio

• Analyzing facts and information to determine the most effective way to tell a story

• Abiding by journalistic ethics

Requirements:
• A creative and inquiring mind

• The ability to gather, write, and edit news

• Knowledge of current affairs in Memphis and of the Memphis media landscape

• Computer proficiency (word processing, web search, database search, photo and file
management)

• Excellent communication and active listening skills

• Integrity, morality, and grit

• Bachelor’s degree or higher

• 1-2 years relevant experience

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

People of color, women, LGBTQ candidates, and others from groups underrepresented in the publishing community are strongly encouraged to apply.

To apply, please send a letter of introduction, resume, portfolio (links to digital stories are fine), and 2-3 references to hr@contemporary-media.com. No phone calls, please.

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News News Blog

Amazon Posts 500 New Jobs for Olive Branch Center

Need a job? Amazon has 500 of them.

The retail giant posted the jobs for its new, 1-million-square-foot fulfillment center in Olive Branch on Tuesday, July 28th.

The full-time jobs start at $15 per hour. They also come with a benefits package that includes health, vision, and dental insurance, a 401(k) with a 50 percent company match, up to 20 weeks paid parental leave, and Amazon’s career program that pre-pays 95 percent of tuition for courses in high-demand fields.

The fulfillment center will be located at 11505 Progress Way in Olive Branch. Workers there will pick, pack, and ship large customer items, like sports equipment, patio furniture, fishing rods, pet food, kayaks, bicycles, and larger household goods.

Job candidates must be 18 years or older and have a high school diploma or equivalent to be considered. Learn more here. Or, sign up for text alerts by texting PITNOW to 77088.

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News News Blog

Greater Memphis Chamber Compiles List of 100 Area Job Openings

The number of unemployment claims filed across the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic increased to 30.3 million this week.

Preliminary numbers show the country’s unemployment rate for March was 4.4 percent, a .9 percent increase from the previous month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In Memphis, the unemployment rate was 4.3 percent in March, slightly down from February’s rate of 4.4 percent.


To help connect Memphians with employment opportunities, the Greater Memphis Chamber has released a list of immediate job openings in the Memphis area. From full-time, to part-time, to temporary positions, the list includes positions from 90 different businesses and organizations around the city.

See the full list below.

Millennium Search


Smith+Nephew

B. Entertainment

  • Positions: Call Center Reps
  • Full- and part-time with flexibility
  • Pay varies
  • Apply: Call Paul Baca at 901-654-3568 and leave a message about the Call Center positions to set up an interview

 

MAUSER Packaging Solutions

 

AutoZone

  • Positions: Distribution Center Order Puller
  • Full-time
  • Pay: Starting salary $12.60
  • Work schedules: Sunday-Wednesday- noon-10:30 p.m. or Wednesday-Saturday – 6 a.m.-4:30 p.m. or noon-10:30 p.m.
  • Apply: Marcus Thompson: marcus.thompson@ajcmemphis.com

 

McKesson

Contact Mareon.Williams@McKesson.com

 

Ceva Logistics

 

Bulldog Transmission

  • Positions: Shop Manager, Mechanic
  • Full-time
  • Pay varies
  • Apply: dawndelapp@icloud.com or please apply in person between 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

 

Hyosung HICO Memphis TN

Hearthside Food Solutions

  • Positions: Shift Manager, Cycle Counter, Spotter – 1st & 2nd Shift, Production Supervisor – 2nd Shift, Warehouse Manager, Machine Operator II -3rd Shift, Material Handler -1st Shift
  • Full-time
  • Pay varies
  • Apply: https://recruiting.adp.com/srccar/public/RTI.home

FedEx Supply Chain

  • Positions: Operations Supervisor- 2nd shift
  • Full-time
  • Pay varies

Apply: https://careers.fedex.com/supplychain/jobs/28665?lang=en-us&Codes=IndSp

 

JACOB Tubing

  • Position: Receiving Supervisor
  • Pay: $14.00 HR – $15.60 HR
  • Position: Welder
  • Pay: $12.00 HR – $15.60 HR
  • Apply: https://www.jobs4tn.gov/  or call 901.365.3205

 

Saint Francis Hospital

 

American Home Shield

 

WM Barr

  • Positions: Forklift Operator (Production), Machine Operator I, Machine Operator II, Production Team Member
  • Full-time
  • Pay varies
  • Apply: Cassius.Morton@ajcmemphis.com

Two Men and A Truck Memphis

Shelby County Schools – Central Office

 

Amazon

 

Promise Development Corporation

  • Position(s):  Property Manager, Assistant Property Manager, Maintenance Technician,

Landscape Worker

  • Full-time
  • Pay varies
  • Apply: Mary Ward  mward@pdevcorp.com  (property managers and maintenance tech)

      Todd Bridgeforth  tbridgeforth@pdevcorp.com (landscape worker)

 

BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee

  • Position(s): Operations Supervisor – Sanitas (Memphis)

Nortek Security and Control

 

Phelps Security Inc.

 

Atlantic Track

  • Positions:  Assembler, Mechanical Maintenance Technician, Quality Technician (Day Shift)
  • Full-time
  • Pay varies
  • Apply: Aarons@atlantictrack.com
  • Submit resume with references

 

Amazon

 

Mahaffey Tent

  • Positions: National Field Installer/Technician, Installation/Maintenance/Repair

 

FedEx Supply Chain

  • Positions: Financial Analyst II, Job # 29407

      Operations Supervisor- 2nd shift, Job #28655

 

DarSalud Care/LifeDOC

 

Teleflex

 

Hill Services

 

Corelle Brand

    • Positions: Forklift Operator 1st Shift (7:00 AM -3:30 PM)

      Forklift Operator 2nd Shift (3:00 PM – 11:30 PM)

 

Church Alive Non-Profit Health Outreach and Family Support Agency

  

Rose Senior Living Heritage at Irene Woods

 

 

Aerotek

    • Material Handler
    • Full-time
    • Salary: $14.30
    • 3rd shift available 10 p.m.- 2 a.m.
    • Apply: tpross@aerotek.com or call Shawna Pross 901.462.2316

Regional One Health

    • Positions: RN – Trauma Acute (ICU Stepdown), IT – Integration Architect, Environmental Services,Food Services Asst I and II, Advanced EMT for ER & BURN, Medical technologist- Blood Bank
    • Full-time and part-time
    • Various shifts
    • Pay varies
    • Apply: www.regionalhealth.org/careers

Gateway Group Personal (Millington Area)

 

Randstad

InDev

  • Positions: Direct Support Professional
  • Full-time
  • Pay: $9.35 per hour
  • Apply: www.indevcare.com  or call (901) 468-4335


Forget Me Not Care Home

 

Trane

  • Position: Maintenance Technician
  • Permanent – Full-time
  • Pay: Based on Experience
  • 2nd Shift
  • Apply: www.jobs4th.gov
  • Position: Maintenance Technician II
  • Permanent – Full-time
  • Shift: Flexible
  • Apply: www.jobs4tn.gov

FedEx Express (400 Positions)

  • Package Handlers
  • Permanent – Part-Time
  • 13.26 per hour
  • Various shifts
  • Apply: mlaytchan@fedex.com

Resource Management Group 

PAE

  • Electronic Engineers, Security Analysis, HVAC & Electrical, Administrative Clerks, Lab Technician, Aircraft Maintenance, Logistics, Construction Surveillance Technicians

Extended Stay America

  • Positions

(2) General Manager Positions

  • ESA Memphis Airport
  • ESA Memphis Cordova

(20) Housekeepers

  • ESA Memphis Apple Tree
  • ESA Memphis Cordova
  • ESA Memphis Mt. Moriah
  • ESA Memphis Quail Hollow
  • ESA Memphis Popular
  • ESA Memphis Wolfchase Galleria

(15) Front Desk Associates

  • ESA Memphis Apple Tree
  • ESA Memphis Cordova
  • ESA Memphis Mt. Moriah
  • ESA Memphis Quail Hollow
  • ESA Memphis Popular
  • ESA Memphis Wolfchase Galleria

(4) Overnight Associates

  • ESA Memphis Cordova
  • ESA Memphis Mt. Moriah
  • ESA Memphis Wolfchase Galleria
  • Part-time and Full-time
  • Pay Varies

DHL Supply Chain (5155 Lamar Avenue Memphis, TN 38118)

 

Resource Management Group

 

FedEx Ground

MINACT, INC., Dr. Benjamin L. Hooks Job Corps Center

  • Positions: Supervisor of Recreation, Recreation Specialists, Residential Advisor, Computer Service Technician Instructor

 

Green Dot Public Schools Tennessee

Conduent

  • Crumpy’s (Opening a new store and need staff immediately)

 

Peopleready

  • Electricians, HVAC Sheetmetal Mechanics, Glaziers, Plumbers, Carpenters
  • Full-time
  • Various shifts
  • Pay varies
  • Apply: mary.hines@ajcmemphis.com

 

Lowes

  • Sales Specialist Appliances, Sales Specialist Cabinets
  • Full-time and Part-time
  • Various shifts
  • Pay varies
  • Memphis Area and Olive Branch
  • Apply: https://jobs.lowes.com/

 

McKesson Corporation

 

Teleflex

  • Material Handlers, Transportation Manager, Distribution Operations Analyst
  • Full-time
  • Various shifts
  • Pay varies
  • Apply: https://careers.teleflex.com/  

Youth Villages

LSI Staffing

  • Immediate Openings
  • Distribution/Packaging

Memphis Recovery Center

Meritan (30 Positions)

  • LPNs (5),  RNs (3-5), Homemakers (10), Billing Clerk (1), Bookkeeper (1), Foster Care Assistant Manager (1 – Memphis), Personal Care Assistants (10 – 15 DeSoto County, MS), CNAs (5),  Homemakers (10), Homemakers Case Manager (1)
  • Pay varies
  • Various shifts
  • Apply: https://meritan.org/careers
  • $1,000 SIGN-ON BONUS for LPNs, RNs, and Homemakers

FedEx Express

Facilities Performance Group (various positions available)

    • Custodians (Temporary Crisis Pay $14.00 HR)
    • Industrial Cleaners (Temporary Crisis Pay $13.50 HR)
    • Gate Sweepers, (Temporary Crisis Pay $14.00).
    • Full-time and part-time
    • Apply: fpgjobs@fpg-llc.com

CTD Staffing

    • Software Engineer (3 openings) – Salary $101,300-112,600/yr.
    • Medical Coder : Billing (1) – $15 HR
    • Full-time
    • Apply: courtney@ctdstaffing.com

MCR Safety

Bryce Corporation

Sherwin Williams

DHL Supply Chain ( 5155 Lamar Avenue Memphis, TN 38118)

    •   Position: Material Handlers (300 Job Openings)
    •   Job Type: Full-time
    •   Pay Rate: $14.50 per hour
    •  Apply: www.workfordhl.com

PSF Web

    • Warehouse Operative
    • 200 job openings
    • $10.00 + per hour
    • Various shifts
    • Apply: www.jobs4tn.gov

Kroger

Amazon

  • Warehouse Team and Shoppers
  • 200+ job opening
  • $17.00 per hour
  • Various shifts
  • Memphis and Byhalia
  • Apply: www.amazondelivers.jobs

FedEx Ground

AeroTek

    • Wheel Vehicle/Diesel Mechanic
    • Full-time
    • $20-$30 per hour
    • 2-3 years experience
    • Military a plus
    • Apply: Andrew Pannel apannel@aerotek.com

 

Lehman Roberts

    • Traffic Control, Crew Laborers, Skill Laborers, Equipment Operators (CDL required)
    • Full-time
    • Pay varies
    • Apply: www.jobs4tn.gov

 

Y&W Technologies

 

Pandrol

    • Positions: Manufacturing Laborer, Material Handlers (folk lift exp.), Maintenance Mechanic, Quality Control Inspector, Plastics Operator, Shift Inspectors
    • Full-time
    • Pay varies
    • Apply: www.jobs4tn.gov



Autozone

    • Positions: Auto Parts Deliver Driver, Shift Supervisor, Senior Retail Sales Associates
    • Full-time and part-time
    • Pay varies
    • Apply: www.jobs4tn.gov



Agape

    • Positions: Team Work Connectors
    • Whitehaven, Frayser and Hickory Hill Locations
    • Pay varies
    • Apply: www.jobs4tn.gov

Corelle Brand

    • Positions: Fork Lift Operator
    • Full-time
    • $14.32 per hour
    • Apply: www.jobs4tn.gov

Ledbetter

    • Positions: General Laborer, Forklift Operator
    • Full-time
    • $12.00-$13.00 per hour
    • Apply: www.jobs4tn.gov

 

Hill Services

Millennium Search

    • Positions: Lift Operator, Material Handler, General Warehouse Associates
    • Full-time
    • Pay varies
    • Apply: www.jobs4tn.gov

 

Hamilton-Ryder

    • Positions: Production Operator I, Forklift Operator, Picker/Packer, Material Handler
    • Full-time
    • Pay varies
    • Apply: www.jobs4tn.gov

 

ADB Companies

    • Positions: Laborer I, Laborer Handler II, Drill Foreman, Drill Locator, Mini Excavator Operator, OSP Inspector, OSP Project Manager
    • Full-time
    • Pay varies
    • Apply: www.adbccompanies.com/join-our-team

 

Big River Engineering & Manufacturing

    • Positions: CNC Machining Center (Mill) Operator, CNC Machining Center (Wire EDM) Operator
    • Full-time
    • Pay varies
    • Apply: www.jobs4tn.gov

 

EVERSANA Life Science Services

    • Positions: Inventory Control Associate, Global Transportation Analyst,  Material Handler
    • Full-time
    • Pay varies
    • Apply: www.jobs4tn.gov

Walmart

    • Positions: Store Associates, Stocker, Freight Handlers, Cart Attendent
    • Full-time and part-time
    • Pay varies
    • Apply: careers.walmart.com/

Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare

    • Positions: Bedside Nurses, Certified Nursing Assistants, Radiology Techs, Financial Counselors
    • Full-time and part-time
    • Pay varies
    • Apply: www.methodisthealth.org/careers/

Lowe’s

    • Seasonal Cashiers, Sales Associates, Overnight Stockers
    • Part-time
    • Pay varies
    • Apply: jobs.lowes.com/

Insomnia Cookies

National Guard

    • 17-34 years of age
    • $20,000 bonuses, 100% college tuition free, healthcare, much more
    • Apply: Call 901-481-5037

G4S

    • Positions: Armed Customer Protection Officer, Unarmed Upscale Security Officer, Shuttle Driver, Bank Protection Officer, Healthcare Upscale Security Officer
    • Full-time
    • Apply: https://careers.g4s.com/en

Dislocated Hospitality Workers Needed Immediately

Categories
News News Blog

Report: Memphis Job Loss Could Top 121,000

CREDIT: Brookings Institute

Brookings Institute

The Memphis metro area could lose around 20 percent of all jobs due to the coronavirus, according to a new report from the Brookings Institute.

The report analyzed metros from across the country, predicting which ones would be hardest hit by the pandemic. Not all areas will be hit the same, according to the think tank. Those with concentrated energy sectors like mining, oil, and gas will likely be hardest hit. Hit hard, too, will be metros with concentrations of transportation, employment services, travel arrangements, and tourism (like Memphis).

“Add the numbers up and the gargantuan scale of the current problem emerges,” reads the report. “More than 24.2 million Americans work in the five high-risk sectors facing a sharp slowdown. This will likely prompt significant work disruptions, furloughs, and other uncertainties in the coming months.”

Oil-sector cities like Midland, Texas (No. 1) and Houma-Thibadoux, Louisiana (No. 8) dominate the top 10 slots on the Brooking’s rankings. Midland, for example, is set to lose nearly 46,618 jobs, or nearly 43 percent of all its jobs.

Tourism-heavy cities like Kahului, Hawaii (No. 2) and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (No. 9) round out the top 10. Kahului could lose 32,092 jobs, or nearly 40 percent of its jobs.

Memphis ranks 48th on the Brookings list, which is based on percentage of jobs lost, not on total number. Here, the city could lose 121,065 jobs, or about 19.6 percent of all jobs in the Memphis metro area, which includes portions of Mississippi and Arkansas.

There’s no doubt tourism is one of the city’s major economic centers. Memphis Tourism, the area’s official destination marketing organization, reported last year (the latest figures) that a record number of tourists (11.8 million) visited Memphis in 2018.

Those visitors brought with them a $3.5 billion economic impact in Memphis that year. That activity generated $1.13 billion in annual wages in Shelby County in 2018. There’s little doubt that all of those figures will be lower when 2020 numbers are reported next year.

However, Kevin Kane, Memphis Tourism president and CEO, said the city is still open to visitors on Tourism’s coronavirus information webpage.

“Some attractions have made the difficult decision to close while others remain open with reduced capacity to space out guests and prevent visitors from clustering in large groups along with deploying the appropriate sanitation protocol,” Kane wrote on the site. “Travelers are welcome should they decide to visit Memphis today, tomorrow, or in the future.”

Read the Brookings data for yourself here:

[pdf-1]

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2020 Census: Workers Needed, Importance of Accurate Count Stressed

CREDIT: U.S. Census Bureau

U.S. Census Bureau

The U.S. Census, required every 10 years by the U.S. Constitution, will take place, Wednesday, April 1st.

The U.S. Census Bureau opened a local office here last week and is looking to hire local residents to assist with the count.

The Bureau is looking to fill five positions: census takers, census field supervisors, recruiting assistants, clerks, and office operations supervisors. Pay for these roles starts at $20 an hour.

Applicants for the job above must be at least 18 years old, have a valid social security number, and pass a Census Bureau-performed background check and review of criminal record, which includes fingerprinting.

For more information on the available positions and how to apply, visit the U.S. Census job site.

In his weekly newsletter to constituents, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland stressed the importance of the census: “The importance of making sure we have an accurate count cannot be overstated.”

The data will determine how the federal government allocates $675 in federal funds to each state over the next 10 years. A portion of the city’s budget comes from federal- and state-shared revenue based on Memphis’ population count. The mayor adds that planning for essential city services, such fire and police services, as well as the upkeep of roads and parks, depends on the accuracy of the census count.

Here are a few areas for which the amount of federal funding is determined by Census data:

Children: Census data is used to determine the funding needed for school lunches, the Head Start program, special education grants, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.

Transportation: Census data guides how billions of federal dollars for transportation are distributed, including capital improvement grants for public transit and funds for highway construction and planning. Specifically, in the past funds have been used for State and Community Highway Safety Grant Program, Federal Transit Metropolitan Planning Grants, and Federal Transit Formula Grants.

Jobs: Companies use census data to determine where to identify areas to open new factories, offices, or stores. The data is also used to distribute community block grants, which are used in part to create jobs through retaining and expanding businesses.

Housing: Census data influences how much money is allocated to housing-related programs, such as the Section 8 Housing Assistance Payments, Public Housing Capital Fund, and Low-Income Home Energy Assistance programs. The data also helps private developers and public officials to determine where to invest in new housing developments.

Representation: Numbers collected from the census are also used to make sure political power is fairly distributed among states and within states. The data is used to redraw district lines to determine representation in Congress, state legislatures, school boards, and other electoral bodies whose membership is based on population and geography.

After receiving an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census, households can respond either by mail, phone, or online. It is required by law to respond to the census.

The census asks basic questions about each person in a household, and all answers are anonymous, used only for the purpose of generating data.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Shelby County contains many of the hardest to count (HTC) census tracts in the country based on results from the 2010 Census.

Nearly half of the census tracts in Shelby County had a mail return rate of less than 73 percent and fell in the bottom 20 percent for return rates nationwide.

Tracts with the lowest return rates here are located primarily in the 38115, 38118, and 38104 zip codes.

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XPO Promises Jobs for Some in Closing Warehouse

CREDIT: XPO

XPO

An official with XPO Logistics said Monday that all of the hourly employees at its warehouse here that is set to close this spring will be offered new jobs at another one of the company’s local facilities.

The approximate 400 employees at the company’s Verizon-contracted warehouse here received letters earlier this month saying that the warehouse would permanently close because of an “overall business model change initiated and completed by our customer.”

Workers expressed concern that the closing was retaliation in response to the company recently gaining national attention after allegations of pregnancy discrimination, sexual abuse, and poor working conditions were brought forth by employees. XPO denied those claims.

[pullquote-1]

Now, the company guarantees that all the hourly employees working at the warehouse, which make up about 90 percent of the workforce, will be offered new jobs in one of the 11 nearby XPO-run facilities here, said Erin Kurtz, XPO’s senior vice president of communications. Kurtz said the company is also working to find jobs for the remaining salaried employees at XPO facilities here. The company will “make every effort” to accommodate employee’s location preferences.

“Getting our employees new jobs was our goal all along, but we had to take inventory to evaluate what was possible with our other sites in Memphis,” Kurtz said. “Happy to report, that we will offer all hourly employees a new role and will maintain the hourly wage rate.”

Kurtz also confirmed Monday that the independent investigation by Tina Tchen of Buckley Sandler’s, a Chicago-based firm that specializes in unique litigation, counseling, and crisis management skills, into the allegations is completed.

Buckley Sandler’s

Tina Tchen investigated XPO’s workplace culture and policies.

Tchen said in her report that the company did have a policy in place that requires providing reasonable accommodation for pregnant employees when medically required, but that she recommends additional procedures, education, and training of supervisors and workers.

She adds that XPO’s new Pregnancy Care Policy, which took effect in January, is “one of the most progressive in place around the country.”

“In particular the type of accomodations reportedly requested in the press accounts under the new policy can now be put into place automatically without medical documentation of need,” Tchen said. “The company has also been engaged in a robust training and education process to ensure all workers and supervisors know about this new policy and how to apply it.

“Overall, I found that XPO, as this response demonstrates, to be a company that is working to enhance workplace culture and support its employees.”

[pullquote-2]

The news came the same day U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen sent a letter to the company’s CEO Bradley Jacobs to follow-up on concerns raised last year regarding allegations of mistreatment of employees in light of the warehouse closing.

“We are also concerned about allegations that the Memphis warehouse closure could be connected to the aforementioned incidents,” reads Cohen’s letter. “It is our top priority to ensure that workers in XPO Logistics facilities are not put at physical risk or risk of discrimination.”

The letter asks for answers to six questions, some of which the company seemed to answer Monday:

•

What are the results of Tina Tchen’s internal review of the company culture and policy?



•

 What is XPO’s new pregnancy policy and how does it differ from the policy that was in place when the alleged incidents took place?



•

What policies are in place at XPO to prevent and adequately address sexual harassment and gender discrimination cases?



•

Who was responsible for deciding to close the XPO warehouse in Memphis?



•

What specific steps are being taken to assist workers being laid off in Memphis?



•

What steps will XPO take to ensure that workers are protected at the new facility planned to open here in May?


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MATA Looks to Hire More Trolley Operators

CREDIT: MATA

MATA

Trolley on Main


The Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) is looking for new trolley operators and will host a job fair Thursday, August 23rd.

Applicants must be at least 21 years old and have a high school diploma or GED. Operators also must have a valid Class A or B commercial driver’s license.

Other qualifications include being able to sit for extended periods of time, as well as lift, push, or pull 50 pounds and withstand exposure to weather conditions, dust, engine fumes, toxic chemicals, and extreme noise levels. Trolley operators are expected to interact with the public, communicate effectively with customers, and act as ambassadors for the city.

Key responsibilities include conducting daily pre-trip inspections, operating the trolley safely and on time, and writing an occasional report.

The position pays $9 an hour during training, increasing to $18.39 post-training. The job fair will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the MATA’s trolley barn on North Main.

After being out of service for nearly four years, steel-wheeled trolleys returned to Main at the end of April this year. Last month, MATA officials projected that the first-year ridership for trolleys will be north of 800,000 riders or 10 percent of total ridership. MATA is currently in the process of bringing the trolley lines back to Riverside and Madison.