Tennessee Tech Boosts Labor Force Amid Cookeville Retail Boom
The Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce is confident that the local labor force can support the hundreds of new retail positions opening in October, thanks to the presence of Tennessee Tech and a pool of workers from nearby counties.
Amy New, President and CEO of the Chamber, said the university environment in the center of the Upper Cumberland allows the region to comfortably support massive operations like Home Depot and Target.
New noted that while the labor force participation rate is lower than desired, the 10,000 students at Tennessee Tech are not included in these numbers, which skews the statistics.
She also mentioned that workers from as far away as Fentress County and Van Buren County have been attracted to the high-profile retail developments, with many roles offering competitive wages for part-time and full-time positions.
New stated that recent communications with Target and Home Depot indicated that the stores are nearly fully staffed, with very few employees leaving other local retail establishments to take the new jobs.