Teacher Carla Guerra checks on first-grade students during an art class at Battle Elementary School.

Hamilton County Schools the top local employer

Chattanooga is home to the world's biggest disability insurer, the state's largest health insurer, the country's biggest privately owned bakery and the power headquarters for the nation's biggest government utility. But the largest single employer in the Chattanooga area serves only Hamilton County. The county school system with more than 5,800 full- and part-time employees at its 78 schools is the region's largest single employer. Among the top 10 employers in Chattanooga, five are government agencies.

City's biggest employers

Hamilton County Public Schools: 4,347 full-time and 1,518 part-time employees.

BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee: State's biggest health insurer, with 4,458 full-time and 56 part-time employees.

The Tennessee Valley Authority: The federally owned utility has 3,970 full-time and 11 part-time workers at its power headquarters, Sequoyah Nuclear Power Plant and other local facilities.

Erlanger Health System: Publicly owned hospital has 3,441 full-time and 424 part-time employees.

Memorial Health Care System: Owned by Catholic Health Initiatives, the company has 3,071 full-time and 637 part-time employees.

McKee Foods Corp.: The maker of Little Debbie snack cakes and other foods has 2,950 full-time employees.

Unum: The world's largest disability insurer has 2,800 full-time employees at its Chattanooga headquarters.

Chattanooga: Local municipal government has 2,239 full-time employees and 163 part-time employees.

Hamilton County: Local county government has 1,837 full-time and 148 part-time employees.

Pilgrim's Pride Corp.: Chicken processing operation has 1,324 full-time and 21 part-time employees.

Source: Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, Major Employers List, 2011

BIGGEST AREA PUBLICLY TRADED COMPANIES

Unum Corp., the world's biggest disability company, based in Chattanooga, reported 2011 revenues of $10.3 billion

Mohawk Industries, one of the largest floorcovering companies, based in Calhoun, Ga., reported 2011 revenues of more than $5.6 billion

CBL & Associates Properties Inc., one of the nation's biggest shopping mall developers, based in Chattanooga, reported 2011 revenues of $1.07 billion

Astec Industries, a Chatta-nooga-based asphalt equipment maker, reported 2011 revenues of $955.7 million

Covenant Transport, one of the nation's biggest trucking companies, based in Chattanooga, reported 2011 revenues of $652.6 million

Sources: Company filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

BIGGEST AREA PRIVATE COMPANIES

Life Care Centers of America, an elder care and nursing home chain based in Cleveland, Tenn., and headed by Forrest L. Preston

EMJ Corp., a construction company based in Chattanooga headed by Jay Jolley

U.S. Xpress Co., a trucking company based in Chattanooga headed by Max L. Fuller

Propex Inc., a carpet backing manufacturer headed by Michael K. Gorey

The Vincent Group, six companies dealing with food safety, sanitation, water and energy management, headed by Bob Bullard

Source: TN Business magazine

BIGGEST BANKS IN METRO CHATTANOOGA

The 30 commercial banks operating in the six-county metro area collectively have 175 offices and nearly $8.5 billion in deposits. The biggest are:

1. First Tennessee, based in Memphis, has 22 local offices and $1.8 billion in local deposits, or nearly 21.5 percent of the Chattanooga market.

2. SunTrust, based in Atlanta, has 30 local offices with more than $1.5 billion in local deposits, or 18.3 percent of the Chattanooga market.

3. Regions, based in Birmingham, Ala., operates 23 local branches and has nearly $1.3 billion in local deposits, or 14.9 percent of the Chattanooga market.

4. Northwest Georgia Bank, based in Ringgold, Ga., has 10 local branches and $436.5 million in deposits, or 5.2 percent of the market.

5. FSG Bank, based in Chattanooga, has nine local branches and $413.3 million in local deposits, or 4.9 percent of the Chattanooga market.

Source: Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., Deposit Market Share Report as of June 30, 2011.