Decatur and Huntsville tied with Rapid City, South Dakota, with the lowest unemployment rate in the country in March, with the Birmingham-Hoover metro area the lowest of metro areas with a population of 1 million or more.
The Birmingham-Hoover metro area had a 1.8% unemployment rate in March 2023, the lowest of metro areas with a population of 1 million or more.
Decatur and Huntsville had a 1.6% unemployment rate, and the Birmingham-Hoover metro area came in at 1.8%.
“Alabamians have been finding jobs in record numbers for many months now,” Gov. Kay Ivey said. “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 were 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.”