Alabama Governor Kay Ivey announced Wednesday that three Alabama metropolitan areas have the lowest unemployment rates in the country for March 2023.
Statewide unemployment in March was at a record low of 2.3%.
The Birmingham – Hoover metro area led all large cities with an unemployment rate of just 1.8%. This is for cities with a metropolitan area of one million or more.
Two other state metro areas, Decatur and Huntsville, were ranked as the lowest in the country of any size at 1.6% and tied with Rapid City, South Dakota.
“Alabamians have been finding jobs in record numbers for many months now,” said Governor Ivey. “Therefore, it is not surprising that we are home to the lowest unemployment rates among major metropolitan areas in the nation. Alabama workers are not only trailblazers in aerospace, automotive, and agriculture industries – among others – but we are eager to enhance our quality of life. For some time, we’ve been saying ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ is open for business, and the job numbers continue to bear that out.”
The rankings are compiled by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“These rankings are just more proof of how well Alabama’s economy has recovered since the pandemic and demonstrates the dedication in our communities to offer our families good jobs,” said Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington. “To think that three Alabama metros beat out all the other metros in the nation is something to be really proud of, and I certainly hope that we continue this streak of achievements.”
Economic developer Dr. Nicole Jones told Alabama Today, “Alabama has available jobs and continues to break unemployment records because the public and private sectors communicate to create an environment conducive for economic growth. Workforce development initiatives created through partnerships between businesses, the Alabama Department of Labor (ADOL), and AIDT help ensure Alabamians are trained well and can fill positions available in a variety of areas.”
Alabama’s preliminary seasonally adjusted March unemployment rate of just 2.3% is a new record low, down from February’s rate of 2.5%.
“We’re almost a quarter into 2023, and we are already seeing record-breaking success when it comes to Alabama’s economy,” said Gov. Ivey. “We have been enjoying a period of low unemployment, high wages, and high jobs count for some time now, and I believe that even greater economic achievements are on their way. We will not back down on our commitment to continue bringing quality, high-paying jobs to Alabama.”
“ADOL Secretary Fitzgerald Washington and his team deserve much credit for this because of their willingness to meet communities where they are at and partner with industry to design education and training programs aimed to increase skills needed to attain employment. When Alabamians are working, we all benefit,” Dr. Jones said.
The state experienced growth of 54,100 jobs in the past 12 months, with the most significant gains occurring in the manufacturing sector (+10,400), the professional and business services sector (+8,700), and the private education and health services sector (+7,500), among others.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
