Workforce participation rate

People seated in a circle listening to presentations.

Experts: Training, transportation and child care shortages straining Alabama workforce

BY: - October 31, 2023

If Alabama’s workforce participation rates are low, it’s due to a lack of training, transportation and child care, experts told an Alabama House committee on Monday. “The bulk of it, I think, is what we are here for today, and that is, ‘well, I don’t have a consistent transportation to get to work,’” said Ed […]

A "Now Hiring" sign

Legislative committee to study at Alabama’s low workforce participation rate

BY: - October 5, 2023

A commission formed to study Alabama’s relatively low workforce participation rate met for the first time Thursday, with much of the discussion focused on keeping young people in the state. But to Rep. Reed Ingram, R-Pike Road, the chair of the committee, there are plenty of other factors to consider.  “It may be the work […]

A "Now Hiring sign," with white lettering on a red background, stands in front of a business called "Sparkline Image Car Wash."

‘Who’s going to work there?’: Lawmakers grapple with labor shortages

BY: - August 22, 2023

INDIANAPOLIS — For years, Indiana’s GOP-controlled legislature has focused on creating a business-friendly climate by pushing favorable tax rates and regulations, aiming to foster the creation of good-paying jobs across the state. The way Republican state Sen. Michael Crider sees it, those moves have worked: Companies such as Amazon and Walmart have built new warehouses and […]

A woman in a fluorescent yellow shirt and jeans works with drywall in a training program.

A ‘she-cession’ no more: After COVID dip, women’s employment hits all-time high

BY: - July 19, 2023

After fears of a “she-cession” during the pandemic, women have returned to the workforce at unprecedented rates. Much of the gain reflects a boom in jobs traditionally held by women, including nursing and teaching.  Many good-paying jobs in fields such as construction and tech management are still dominated by men, a continuing challenge for states […]

A nurse dons protective gear, including a mask, a hair cap and a plastic smock in a hospital hallway.

States see record low unemployment across the US

BY: - May 27, 2023

Across much of the country, the jobs market is as strong as it’s ever been, and Black women, young people and people with disabilities are among the workers benefiting, recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data show. Twenty states reported an unemployment rate under 3% in April, while 15 states saw record lows, led by […]