employment

Alabama jobless claims soar past 40,000 this week, breaking records

More than 40,000 people filed a jobless claim to receive unemployment compensation in the first four days of this week, the Alabama Department of Labor says, more than quadrupling the number of claims filed last week when layoffs began hitting the state. Alabama Department of Labor spokesperson, Tara Hutchison, said Thursday that 40,628 people filed … Continued

March 26, 2020

How do I apply for unemployment in Alabama?

Unemployment is surging in Alabama as businesses across the country have been forced close because of restrictions put in place to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. Just last week, more than 9,000 people applied for unemployment compensation in the state, according to the Alabama Department of Labor. Workers who lose their jobs because … Continued

March 22, 2020

Governor awards $1.7 million to assist low-income residents

Gov. Kay Ivey has awarded grants totaling $1.7 million for programs that help low-income residents take steps to secure gainful employment and improve their quality of life. The Community Services Block Grants will enable 20 community action agencies throughout the state to help low-income residents achieve self-sufficiency and address barriers to success through a variety … Continued

January 27, 2020

State unemployment rate drops to new low

Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington announced last week that Alabama reached a new record low unemployment rate in October. Alabama’s preliminary, seasonally adjusted October unemployment rate is just 2.8 percent, down from September’s rate of 3.0 percent, and well below October 2018’s rate of 3.8 percent. “More than 80,000 Alabamians are working today … Continued

November 22, 2019

Vocational Rehabilitative Services strives to narrow employment gap for Alabamians with disabilities

“What do you do for a living?” We’ve all asked or been asked that question. It’s a great conversation starter that helps us learn more about a person. It also underscores our society’s emphasis on the value of having an occupation. The question is no less important to a person with a disability. For people … Continued

June 26, 2019

Alabama ranks 49th nationally in employment for workers with disabilities

Alabama workers with disabilities are leaving jobs in the state, but nationally, workers with disabilities started working at 111,804 jobs. According to the 2018 Annual Disability Statistics Compendium, Alabama has 418,429 workers with disabilities, ages 18 to 64. However, only 112,030 are employed. From last year, 3,769 people with disabilities left the workforce, and the … Continued

March 29, 2019

Alabama’s unemployment rate continues to fall, reaches another record low

Alabama’s unemployment rate continues to drop. Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington said Friday that Alabama has reached a new record low unemployment rate in February 2019. Alabama’s preliminary, seasonally adjusted February unemployment rate was 3.7 percent. That is down from January’s rate of 3.8 percent, and it is below February 2018’s rate of … Continued

March 26, 2019

August Alabama employment breaks record for fourth consecutive month

Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington announced that more than 2.1 million people were working in Alabama in August, breaking the previous employment record for the fourth consecutive month. “For four months in a row now, we’ve been breaking employment records,” Washington said. “Thirty-two thousand more Alabamians are working now than last year. We’ve … Continued

September 24, 2018

Cobb campaign worker charged with violating sex offender employment rules resigns

A field director working for Democratic hopeful and former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb resigned from Cobb’s campaign Friday after being arrested Thursday and charged with violating the state’s sex offender law. Paul Littlejohn III, 55, was convicted in 1985 of the rape and sodomy of a 30-year-old woman, according to Alabama Law … Continued

May 14, 2018

Cobb campaign employs registered sex offender as field director

People change, but few campaigns hire registered sex offenders to go door-to-door canvassing for votes, but former Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb did. Judge Cobb says she didn’t know that her campaign hired a rapist until a story was about to break, but her campaign did. Birmingham families didn’t know that a sexual predator was … Continued

May 9, 2018