By CAROLINE BECK, Alabama Daily News
As the country gets ready for its annual celebration of the workforce, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is acknowledging Alabama’s record job growth.
According to the Chamber, Alabama has added 40,000 jobs since July 2018. Alabama ranks 10th in the nation for job growth and 18th in the nation for wage growth.
The average weekly earnings for Alabamians in June 2019 were $861.80, which is $45.83 more than what people saw the previous year.
Alabama’s unemployment rate is at 3.3%, 16th lowest in the nation.
“More Alabamians are working now than at any other point in our state’s history, but our work is not done yet,” Gov. Kay Ivey told Alabama Daily News. “We will not rest on our successes, but instead, we will build on them. Every Alabamian deserves a pathway to success, and we are certainly well on our way to achieving that.”
During the month of August, Alabama saw several enterprises and business ventures begin.
Abbeville Fiber, LLC just celebrated the beginning of operations this week at its 115-employee, state-of-the-art sawmill plant. It is the largest economic development project in Henry County’s history, with $40 million invested to date.
Also news this week is a business development office in Stuggart, Germany to enhance the state’s efforts in attracting European companies to consider job-creating investments in the U.S.
The groundbreaking for auto supplier DaikyoNishikawa kicked off last week in Huntsville where a $110 million manufacturing plant has begun construction.
The auto supplier Vuteq also announced this month that they plan on investing more than $60 million to open a manufacturing facility to serve the Mazda Toyota manufacturing plant near Huntsville.
Business Council of Alabama President and CEO Katie Boyd Britt said Alabama is seeing growth like never before.
“This report by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce underscores that workforce demands across Alabama are at an unprecedented high, bringing opportunity for new and existing businesses alike,” Britt said. “Thanks to the leadership of Gov. Kay Ivey, our legislative leaders, the businesses that choose to call Alabama home, and the hard working men and women across the state, we know Alabama’s best days are ahead of us.”
Neil Bradley, senior vice president and chief policy officer at the U.S. Chamber, said the organization wanted to thank the workers who made the growth possible.
“From the producer who raises livestock to the trucker who transports them and the butcher who sells them, America’s job market is thriving,” Bradley said.