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[Economic Structure] Memphis’ economic structure (how the city “makes money”)

1) Scale and the right unit of analysis

Most economic data is tracked for the Memphis metro area (Memphis, TN–MS–AR MSA) because jobs and supply chains spill across Tennessee–Mississippi–Arkansas daily. The metro’s GDP was about $102.9B in 2023.

2) The core engine: a logistics-and-distribution hub economy

Memphis is structurally built around moving goods fast—by air, road, rail, and river.

  • Air cargo: Memphis International is North America’s #1 cargo airport; in 2024 it handled ~3.75 million metric tons.

  • FedEx World Hub effect: FedEx describes Memphis World Hub as the largest sort facility in its global network, with ~13,000 team members and the capability to process ~484,000 packages per hour.



  • River port: The Port of Memphis reports 8.2M short tons of waterborne cargo handled in 2022 and cites $6.25B in annual total economic output tied to port activity.

This logistics spine pulls in (and grows) warehousing, trucking, packaging, cold-chain, inventory management, and “back office” operations.

3) Employment mix: what people actually do for work

Using BLS payroll employment for July 2025 (total nonfarm ~654.5k jobs):

  • Trade, transportation & utilities: 191.6k (~29.3%) — the biggest block (the logistics signature).

  • Education & health services: 97.9k (~15.0%) — hospitals, clinics, research, higher ed.

  • Professional & business services: 89.2k (~13.6%) — corporate services, admin, staffing, facilities, etc.

  • Government: 82.5k (~12.6%) — city/county/state/federal and public schools.

  • Leisure & hospitality: 64.3k (~9.8%) — tourism, food, entertainment.

  • Manufacturing: 39.8k (~6.1%) — still meaningful, but smaller than the logistics + services blocks.

(Percent shares above are simple calculations from the BLS job counts.)

4) Secondary pillars that stabilize (and sometimes constrain) the hub

  • Healthcare & life sciences: A large employment base (see above) plus globally visible research institutions and hospital systems.

  • Tourism & culture economy: Memphis Travel reports 13.1M visitors (2024) and an annual domestic-visitor impact of ~$4B, with substantial local tax receipts.

  • Corporate HQ / management functions: Memphis hosts major corporate offices (which matters because HQ jobs tend to be higher-wage and “sticky” when they stay).

5) Labor-market snapshot (what it feels like on the ground)

  • Unemployment: Memphis area ~5.4% (Jul 2025) vs ~4.6% U.S. in the same chart.

  • Pay level: Average weekly wage (all industries) shown as $1,314 for the area vs $1,507 U.S. (Q4 2024).

  • Mean hourly wage: $27.96 (Memphis area) vs $32.66 (U.S.) (May 2024).

A classic pattern in hub economies: lots of jobs, but wage pressure downward in large parts of the distribution/service stack unless the region keeps upgrading skills and moving into higher-value functions (automation ops, analytics, engineering, healthcare specialization, etc.).

6) The strategic storyline in one sentence

Memphis is a tri-state “throughput” economy: it creates value by being an unusually efficient platform for moving, sorting, storing, repairing, packaging, and servicing goods (plus a strong healthcare and tourism layer)—and its long-run upside depends on capturing higher-margin work on top of that platform (automation, cold-chain/biologistics, advanced manufacturing, and specialized medical/research growth).

__________________
The Memphis Times
www.memphistimes.org

Published: Wednesday, December 17, 2025, (12/17/2025) at 7:56 P.M.

[Note]

We don’t guarantee the accuracy of the numbers in the article above because they were created by AI. Those who need the accuracy have to verify the accuracy by themselves.

[Source/Notes]

This article was written/produced using AI ChatGPT. Written/authored entirely by ChatGPT itself. The editor made no revisions. The model used is GPT-5.1 Thinking (extended thinking enabled). Images were were made/produced using both ChatGPT and Gemini.)

[Prompt History/Draft]

1. “Provide an overview of the economic structure of the city of Memphis, Tennessee, in the United States.”

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(The End).

[Editorial] The reasons why Memphis has bumpy roads on the street (July 21, 2025)

Do you know the real reasons why the city of Memphis has a lot of bumpy roads on the street?

It is not, basically or fundamentally, about economic, financial, or tax revenue issues.

At the core, it is about the LOW LEVEL OF DEMODRATIC SYSTEM including, but not limited to its culture & mentality in the local community. And it reflects the FAILURE OF THE RULE OF LAW here in Memphis and Shelby County, TN.

The Editorial of the Memphis Times.
www.memphistimes.org

Published: July 21, 2025, Monday (7/21/2025), at 10:04A.M.

[Editorial] In terms of dismissing the case of CT-4094-20

The case of CT-4094-20 was dismissed. It was extremely suspected that the case was dismissed, directly or/and indirectly, by the consequences of the crimes including, but not limited to litigation crime, interferences, deceptions, or/and misconducts, and so on.

The dismissal of the case MUST be investigated (in many ways).

The Editorial of the Memphis Times.
www.memphistimes.org

Published: June 17, 2025, Tuesday (6/17/2025), at 1:26P.M.

[Editorial] In case of CT-4094-20

The plaintiff of the case of CT-4094-20 visited his P.O.Box today on June 7, 2025, Saturday (6/7/2025). It was raining when he visited the post office. He cannot and could not visit his P.O.Box everyday until recently because he ended up being in bad situation of being homeless which was originated from the circumstances and their related horrible unceasing crime and constant deceptions since he became the victim of the car accident of CT-4094-20.

And such crime, deceptions, misconducts, or such things are suspected to occur even until recently in 2025. The car accident happened on Oct. 2019. One of the latest suspected crime or probable causes was the allegation/possibility/issue of the manipulated “receipt” which you(the readers) can read in other editorial in this website.

The plaintiff found two items in the P.O.Box. One was from the Tennessee Court of Appeals. And the other was the return receipt from IRS.

The letter of the former indicated that the court did not take the plaintiff’s side. That was the bottom line of the letter. In plain English, the plaintiff lost his case. The plaintiff was notified that he has sixty(60) days until he can appeal the “opinion”(the court decision) to Tennessee Supreme Court.

The plaintiff thinks that it will take much more than ten(10) years until the issues are clearly categorized, the related facts are found, or the truth is revealed. The plaintiff thinks that it is either impossible or almost impossible to establish “justice” in this case, especially while considering the realities of the judicial corruption or malfunction in Shelby County, TN.

It didn’t and doesn’t have to be this way, but the issues and the circumstances became too much complicated especially because and since the hybrid criminals including the white-collar criminals began to be involved in this case when the car accident happened.

The issues are not just about the car accident anymore. The issues ended up or happened to include such issues of “judicial crime or misconducts”, “law enforment crime or misconducts”, “crooked or even criminal lawyers”, “corrupt or even criminal judges”, “legal malpractice”, “medical malpractice, “corrupt insurance industry or criminal insurance companies”, “bad laws or ineffective ones”, “corrupt or malfunctioning lesgislation in Tennessee”, and so on.

The issues really reflect, or can reflect or reveal “American cancers” in this society.

And the plaintiff would like to say or emphasize that this indescribable ordeal can happen to anyone in the city of Memphis or in Shelby County, TN, or in the United States if and when someone happens to have an unlucky day on the street just as the plaintiff had.

The plaintiff knows that you are not going to go to the criminals or suspects. However, the criminals or suspects will come to you. And they will destroy your life whatever your life was.

That is the HEINOUS(emphasis added) element of this case whose case number is CT-4094-20.

[The Editor’s note: All of the allegations/possibilities/issues are not proved in the court of law yet. Therefore, they are just allegations/possibilities/issues as of June 7, 2025.

It is said that the presumption of innocence is a fundamental principle in the U.S. legal system stating that every person accused of a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This means the prosecution has the burden of proving each element of the crime, and the defendant does not need to prove their innocence.]

The Editorial of the Memphis Times.
www.memphistimes.org

Published: June 7, 2025, Saturday (6/7/2025), at 7:57P.M.

[Editorial] About Wagner Being Confirmed As Tennessee Supreme Court Justice

Judge Mary L. Wagner is currently a circuit court judge for Shelby County whose jurisdiction covers the city of Memphis.

According to the linked news, Ms. Wagner was appointed by Governor Bill Lee in February, 2024. And she was officially confirmed March 11 by the General Assembly as the newest justice on the Tennessee Supreme Court.

Governor Bill Lee appears to have made the serious mistake for the appointment. And the General Assembly failed to fix the error during the confirmation process.

This appointment and confirmation is really wrong. Time will or may show why Wagner is not suitable for the job. Wagner is disqualified for any judgeship. She is not qualified not only for the bench of Tennessee Supreme Court but also as the judge for the circuit court of Shelby County in Tennessee.

Criminal investigatoins should be performed about the previous cases which Wagner handled or dealt with.

The Editorial of the Memphis Times
www.memphistimes.org

Published: March 15, 2024, Friday, at 1:07AM

[Related Content] Wagner Confirmed As Tennessee Supreme Court Justice (March 12, 2024)

[Case] The State of Tennessee vs. DEMETRIUS HALEY

Case Number: C2300402

Active Attorneys:
Lead Attorney
STENGEL, MICHAEL JAMES Retained

Court: Shelby County Criminal Court, Division III

Judicial Officer: Jonesjr, James

File Date: 01/26/2023

Charges:

SECOND DEGREE MURDER (Statue: 39-13-210)

AGGRAVATED ASSAULT-ACT IN CONCERT (Statue: 39-13-102

AGGRAVATED KIDNAPPING (Statue: 39-13-304

AGGRAVATED KIDNAPPING (Statue: 39-13-304

OFFICIAL MISCONDUCT (Statue: 39-16-402

OFFICIAL MISCONDUCT (Statue: 39-16-402

OFFICIAL OPPRESSION (Statue: 39-16-403)

[News] About the Litigation of the Tyre Nichols’ Case

The Times tried to check the current or latest status of Mr. Tyre Nichols’ case in the federal court on March 6, 2024. (The State case is different from this Federal case.)

The civil complaint was filed on April 19, 2023. And until today on March 6, 2024, the total of 161 documents were filed in the docket of the court.

This is a civil action. The jury trial has been set on January 27, 2025, Monday, at 09:30 AM in Courtroom 4, in Memphis, Tennessee before Judge Mark S. Norris according to the court docket.

The City of Memphis and Memphis police chief, Ms. Cerelyn Davis filed the motion to dismiss on July 7, 2023, while arguing in the memorandum in support of the motion, “The primary question that this suit presents, however, is whether the City should be civilly liable for Mr. Nichols’s death under 42 U.S.C. § 1983” and “Although this situation is tragic, the answer is no.” (from the page 2 of the memorandum.)

Plaintiff filed, on August 14, 2023, the “PLAINTIFF’S RESPONSE IN OPPOSITION TO DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS.”

And the City of Memphis and Chief Cerelyn Davis filed, on August 14, 2023, “REPLY IN SUPPORT OF MOTION TO DISMISS OF THE CITY OF MEMPHIS, CHIEF CERELYN DAVIS……”

Defendant Haley filed his initial disclosures on October 17, 2023.

By the way, the federal criminal trial is scheduled for September 9, 2024.

And defendent Desmond Mills, Jr.’s plea agreement in the Federal Criminal proceedings has been accepted.

These are the basic information of the case as below.

Court:
U.S. District Court Western District of Tennessee (Memphis)

Case Number:
2:23-cv-02224-MSN-atc

Plaintiff v. Defendants:
Wells v. CITY OF MEMPHIS et al

Judges:
Mark S. Norris, presiding
Annie T. Christoff, referral

Date filed: 04/19/2023
Date of last filing: 03/01/2024

Cause: 28:1331 Federal Question: Other Civil Rights

Plaintiff:
RowVaughn Wells
(Individually and as Administratrix Ad Litem of the Estate of Tyre Deandre Nichols, deceased.)

represented by:

Antonio Romanucci (ROMANUCCI & BLANDIN, LLC)

Bhavani Raveendran (ROMANUCCI & BLANDIN, LLC)

Brooke Cluse (BEN CRUMP LAW, PLLC)

Bryce Thomas Hensley (STINAR GOULD GRIECO & HENSLEY, PLLC IL) (TERMINATED: 01/25/2024)

Sarah M. Raisch (ROMANUCCI & BLANDIN, LLC)

David Louis Mendelson , I (MENDELSON LAW FIRM)


Defendant:

CITY OF MEMPHIS (a municipality)

represented by:

Bruce McMullen (BAKER, DONELSON, BEARMAN, CALDWELL & BERKOWITZ, P.C.)

Freeman B. Foster (BAKER DONELSON)

Jennie Vee Silk (BAKER DONELSON BEARMAN CALDWELL & BERKOWITZ, PC)

Defendant:
Chief Cerelyn Davis (in her official capacity)

represented by:

Bruce McMullen

Freeman B. Foster

Jennie Vee Silk


Defendant:

Emmitt Martin, III

represented by:

Florence M. Johnson (JOHNSON AND JOHNSON, PLLC)


Defendant:

Officer Demetrius Haley (in his individual capacity)

represented by:

Stephen R. Leffler (LAW OFFICE OF STEPHEN R. LEFFLER, P.C.)

Defendant:

Justin Smith (in his individual capacity)

represented by:

Martin W. Zummach (SPARKMAN ZUMMACH, P.C.)


Defendant:

Desmond Mills, Jr. (in his individual capacity)

represented by:

Clyde W. Keenan (KEENAN LAW & CONSULTING)

Defendant:

Tadarrius Bean (in his individual capacity)

represented by:

John Keith Perry , Jr. (PERRY GRIFFIN, PC)


Defendant:

Preston Hemphill (in his individual capacity)

represented by:

Deborah E. Godwin (GODWIN MORRIS LAURENZI & BLOOMFIELD, P.C.)

Mary Elizabeth McKinney (GODWIN MORRIS LAURENZI & BLOOMFIELD, P.C.)

Defendant:

Robert Long (in his individual capacity)

represented by:

Darrell J. O’Neal (LAW OFFICE OF DARRELL J. O’NEAL)

Defendant:

JaMichael Sandridge (in his individual capacity)

represented by:

Laura Elizabeth Smittick (SMITTICK LAW FIRM)

Defendant:

Michelle Whitaker (in her individual capacity)

represented by:

Robert L. J. Spence , Jr (ROBERT L. J. SPENCE, JR.)

Andrew Mark Horvath (MORGAN & MORGAN – MEMPHIS, LLC) (TERMINATED: 11/15/2023)

Jarrett Michael Dean Spence (SPENCE PARTNERS)

Defendant:

DeWayne Smith (in his individual capacity and as an agent of the City of Memphis)

represented by:

Deborah E. Godwin

Mary Elizabeth McKinney


Written by Mr. Hwang

MemphisTV
www.memphistv.org

The Memphis Times
www.memphistimes.org

AmericanTV
www.americantv.org

Published: March 6, 2024, Wednesday, at 12:43AM.