By Tanna M. Friday, For The Tribune
LEEDS — While on the campaign trail this week, Governor Kay Ivey made a stop at the Leeds Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon and shared some exciting news for the State of Alabama.
Ivey served as a guest speaker for the Chamber’s monthly luncheon at stood alongside State Representative Dickie Drake, who serves the Leeds area. While speaking to the crowd of around 500 business and community leaders, Ivey announced that Alabama’s preliminary, seasonally adjusted March unemployment rate is 2.9 percent, down from February’s rate of 3.0 percent and below March 2021’s rate of 3.7 percent. This unemployment rate ties the all-time record low unemployment rate previously registered in September 2019.
“Alabama has been on a roll as our folks have been eager to get to work, and the fact that we have once again hit our record low unemployment rate is proof positive of that,” Governor Ivey said. “We are not relenting our efforts, and I am confident Alabama will continue powering in the right direction because of our hardworking men and women. Truly, the best is yet to come.”
Major cities with the lowest unemployment rates are Alabaster and Vestavia Hills at 1.4 percent, Homewood at 1.5 percent, and Hoover and Trussville at 1.6 percent. Major cities with the highest unemployment rates are Selma at 6.9 percent, Prichard at 5.0 percent, and Anniston at 4.7 percent.
Ivey added that she has signed the Education Trust Fund and noted the strategic investments the state is making in our students.
The governor issued the following statement on signing the Education Trust Fund:
“Here in Alabama, we are renewing our focus on the basics, and that is teaching core instruction to our students. This year’s historic Education Trust Fund wisely targets our dollars to accomplish this mission.
“During my state of the state address, I stated that we should no longer accept the existence of failing elementary schools in our state, and this budget strategically directs money, using a customized approach, to meet the particular needs of those struggling schools as we begin the process of working towards achieving this goal. We are covering the spread in education – from adding Pre-K classrooms to providing math coaches to funding after-school programs, we are making sure Alabama does not accept the status quo and to ensure every student can have a bright future. Our teachers are getting a well-deserved pay increase, and we are recognizing, rewarding, and retaining experienced teachers.
“We are continuing our fiscally conservative approach and are fully funding the ETF’s rainy day fund for the first time in history, completely paying off the state’s PACT liability years earlier than anticipated and by making investments that will directly benefit our students and teachers for years to come. As someone who was a former teacher, I believe strongly that education is the number one issue here in Alabama and across our nation because, with that strong educational foundation, doors will open for the rest of one’s life.”
The luncheon was sponsored by local businesses in the community, including the City of Leeds; Lehigh Cement Company; Brunson, Barnett & Sherrer, P.C.; Hubbell Power Systems; Leeds Water Works; Millennial Bank; UAB Medicine; ADR Business & Marketing Strategies; AMAC Design Builders, LLC; America’s First Federal Credit Union; BancorpSouth; Guardian Systems; IKG USA, Inc.; Kinetic by Windstream; M & M Tax & Accounting; and The Outlet Shops of Grand River.