MONTGOMERY – A pair of North Alabama metro areas have the lowest unemployment rates in the nation, Gov. Kay Ivey announced today.
Decatur and Huntsville were ranked as the lowest in the country at 1.6% for March (tied with Rapid City, S.D.), her office said.
A third Alabama metro area – Birmingham/Hoover – was ranked lowest in the nation among populations of 1 million or more with a 1.8% jobless rate in March.
“Alabamians have been finding jobs in record numbers for many months now,” said 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 trail blazers 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 Alabama 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.”
