Alabama Q4, 2019 Employment Statistics- 131,283 employers, up 1.4% from 129,532
- 2,005,872 employees, up 1.1% from 1,984,827
- $985 average weekly wage, up 2.6% from $960
- The average weekly wage is 16.9% below the national average
- The cost of living is 10.7% below the national average
Employer & Employee Growth
In the last year, the number of employers in the state increased by 1,751, which is an increase of 1.4%. The number of employees in Alabama increased by 21,045, an increase of 1.1%. During this same period, the average weekly wage increased by $25, an increase of 2.6%.
The number of private employers increased since last years' Q1. The number of private businesses increased by 1,705 or 1.4%. Growth in private businesses in Alabama grew slower than the national average of 2.5%. The number of employees in these businesses increased since last years' Q1, increasing by 17,177 or 1.1%. The growth in employees of private businesses in Alabama was slower than the national average of 1.2%.
The average weekly wage of employees of private businesses increased since last years' Q1. The averge weekly wage increased by $24 or 2.5%. Growth in average weekly wage of employees of private businesses in Alabama grew slower than the national average of 3.8%.
Leading Sectors
Businesses by Sector
The sector with the greatest number of businesses in the state is Retail trade with 14.1% of the businesses in the state. The number of businesses in this sector declined by 0.5%. Professional services (11.0%), which increased by 0.3% and Healthcare (9.8%), which increased by 8.8%, round out the 3 largest sectors.
Table: Sectors by Year-over-Year Qtly Business Change %
| Sector | Change Biz | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare | 1,039 | 8.8% |
| Information | 115 | 5.1% |
| Educational services | 44 | 4.0% |
| Real estate and rental | 114 | 2.2% |
| Arts and entertainment | 28 | 2.1% |
| Accommodation and food services | 169 | 1.7% |
| Utilities | 7 | 1.6% |
| Manufacturing | 84 | 1.5% |
| Waste services | 97 | 1.4% |
| Finance and insurance | 108 | 1.3% |
| Other services | 119 | 1.2% |
| Transport and warehousing | 40 | 1.0% |
| Construction | 100 | 1.0% |
| Agriculture and forestry | 6 | 0.4% |
| Professional services | 47 | 0.3% |
| Retail trade | -90 | -0.5% |
| Wholesale trade | -252 | -2.5% |
| Company management | -51 | -5.1% |
| Mining and oil extraction | -19 | -5.3% |
Employees by Sector
The sector with the greatest number of employees in the state is Manufacturing with 13.4% of the employees in the state, had an increase in employees of 0.2% in the last year. Retail trade (11.7%), increased by 0.1% and Healthcare (11.0%), increased by 2.1%, round out the top 3 sectors.Table: Sectors by Year-over-Year Qtly Employee Change %
| Sector | Employee Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture and forestry | 565 | 4.5% |
| Transport and warehousing | 2,585 | 4.3% |
| Construction | 3,366 | 3.7% |
| Educational services | 622 | 3.1% |
| Real estate and rental | 726 | 3.1% |
| Company management | 408 | 2.6% |
| Healthcare | 4,440 | 2.1% |
| Professional services | 2,062 | 2.0% |
| Arts and entertainment | 296 | 1.5% |
| Other services | 401 | 0.9% |
| Wholesale trade | 582 | 0.8% |
| Accommodation and food services | 989 | 0.5% |
| Waste services | 272 | 0.2% |
| Manufacturing | 589 | 0.2% |
| Finance and insurance | 90 | 0.1% |
| Retail trade | 248 | 0.1% |
| Information | -108 | -0.5% |
| Mining and oil extraction | -96 | -1.5% |
| Utilities | -857 | -6.2% |
Average Weekly Wage by Sector
The sector that pays their employees the highest is Company management paying $1,953per week compared with the state average of $968. Weekly wages in this sector declined by $490 or 20.1%. Utilities ($1,856), rose by $95 or 5.4% and Professional services ($1,723) increased by $67 or 4.0% round out the 3 largest sectors.Table: Sectors by Year-over-Year Weekly Wage Change %
| Sector | Wage Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|
| Arts and entertainment | $31 | 8.2% |
| Waste services | $32 | 5.5% |
| Accommodation and food services | $18 | 5.5% |
| Utilities | $95 | 5.4% |
| Professional services | $67 | 4.0% |
| Educational services | $27 | 3.8% |
| Construction | $42 | 3.6% |
| Real estate and rental | $34 | 3.6% |
| Healthcare | $33 | 3.3% |
| Information | $35 | 3.0% |
| Retail trade | $16 | 2.9% |
| Agriculture and forestry | $22 | 2.6% |
| Finance and insurance | $40 | 2.6% |
| Wholesale trade | $34 | 2.5% |
| Manufacturing | $25 | 2.2% |
| Other services | $10 | 1.3% |
| Transport and warehousing | $-1 | -0.1% |
| Mining and oil extraction | $-116 | -6.9% |
| Company management | $-490 | -20.1% |
Leading Industries
Businesses by Industry
Each broad sector is made up of specific industries. In Alabama. the industry with the most businesses is Restaurants and other eating places with 6.2% of the businesses in the state (with 8,126 employing 157,395 workers). The Restaurants and other eating places industry had 166 more businesses, an increase of 2.1% in the last year. Wholesale trade agents and brokers (4.4% of businesses) had 197 fewer businesses, a decline of 3.3% and Private households (2.6% of businesses) added 130 businesses, an increase of 4.0% round out the 3 industries with the most businesses.Table: Top 7 Industries by Business Change %
| Industry | Business Chg | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Services for the elderly and disabled | 1,008 | 351.2% |
| Trusts estates and agency accounts | 26 | 173.3% |
| Urban transit systems | 5 | 100.0% |
| Stationery product manufacturing | 3 | 75.0% |
| Other electrical equipment and component mfg. | 6 | 54.5% |
| Accessories and other apparel manufacturing | 2 | 40.0% |
| Mobile food services | 19 | 34.5% |
Table: Top 7 Industries by Business Change #
| Industry | Business Chg | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Services for the elderly and disabled | 1,008 | 351.2% |
| Restaurants and other eating places | 166 | 2.1% |
| Private households | 130 | 4.0% |
| Software publishers | 101 | 22.3% |
| Offices of real estate agents and brokers | 72 | 6.0% |
| Management consulting services | 68 | 3.2% |
| Insurance agencies and brokerages | 62 | 2.5% |
Employees by Industry
Wholesale trade agents and brokers (4.4% of employees) had 197 fewer employees, a decline of 3.3% and Private households (2.6% ofemployees) added 130 employees, an increase of 4.0% round out the 3 industries with the most employees.Table: Top 7 Industries by Employee Change %
| Industry | Emp Chg | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Other support activities for transportation | 189 | 275.5% |
| Port and harbor operations | 47 | 191.9% |
| Materials recovery facilities | 64 | 135.3% |
| Textile bag and canvas mills | 334 | 81.4% |
| Software publishers | 1,172 | 74.8% |
| Hunting and trapping | 8 | 72.9% |
| Transport. goods merchant wholesalers | 131 | 55.7% |
Table: Top 7 Industries by Employee Change #
| Industry | Emp Chg | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Services for the elderly and disabled | 1,504 | 19.1% |
| Software publishers | 1,172 | 74.8% |
| Research and development in the physical engineering and life sciences | 1,153 | 17.0% |
| Electrical and wiring contractors | 1,054 | 8.3% |
| Couriers and express delivery services | 1,038 | 13.6% |
| General medical and surgical hospitals | 1,036 | 2.5% |
| Animal slaughtering and processing | 872 | 3.7% |
Average Weekly Wage by Industry
The industry that pays their employees the most is Coal and other mineral merchant wholesalers, paying $4,643 compared with the state average of $968. Employees in the Coal and other mineral merchant wholesalers industry were paid $563 more per week, an increase of 13.8% in the last year. Investment banking and securities dealing ($4,589) and Securities brokerage ($3,280) round out the top 3 industries. Employees in the Investment banking and securities dealing ($4,589 per week) were paid $810 more per week, an increase of 21.4% and Securities brokerage ($3,280 per week) were paid $86 more per week, an increase of 2.7% round out the 3 industries that pay their employees the most.Table: Top 7 Industries by Wage Change %
| Industry | Wkly Chg | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| All other personal services | $193 | 50.1% |
| Seafood product preparation and packaging | $246 | 42.7% |
| Industrial design services | $417 | 41.7% |
| Agents and managers for public figures | $708 | 40.5% |
| Social science and humanities research | $759 | 37.1% |
| Data processing hosting and related services | $350 | 32.6% |
| Outdoor advertising | $306 | 31.7% |
Table: Top 7 Industries by Wage Change $
| Industry | Wkly Chg | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Investment banking and securities dealing | $810 | 21.4% |
| Social science and humanities research | $759 | 37.1% |
| Agents and managers for public figures | $708 | 40.5% |
| Coal and other mineral merchant wholesalers | $563 | 13.8% |
| Industrial design services | $417 | 41.7% |
| Natural gas extraction | $363 | 23.1% |
| Data processing hosting and related services | $350 | 32.6% |
Company Size
Alabama Businesses by Size
The solopreneur company, has the most businesses in Alabama by far. 56.7% of all businesses in the state have fewer than 5 employees. The 117,510 small businesses in the state represent 95.5% of all private businesses. The national average is 91.2%. (Small businesses have fewer than 50 employees, Solopreneurs employ fewer than 5.) Alabama added 3,717 businesses in the last year, an increase of 3.1% as compared to the national average of 3.0%.Small businesses are defined as companies with fewer than 50 employees. These small businesses added 3,572 businesses in the last year, which is an increase of 3.1% as compared to the national average of 3.1%.
Mid-sized businesses are defined as companies with between 50 and 499 employees. These mid-sized businesses added 136 businesses in the last year, which is an increase of 2.6% as compared to the national average of 1.3%.
Large businesses are defined as companies with more than 500 employees. These large businesses added 9 businesses in the last year, which is an increase of 4.6% as compared to the national average of 2.1%.
Alabama Employees by Business Size
Alabama added 91,154 employees in the last year, an increase of 6.0% as compared to the national average of 5.2%. Small businesses are defined as companies with fewer than 50 employees. These small businesses added 29,526 businesses in the last year, which is an increase of 33.6% as compared to the national average of 4.2%.Mid-sized businesses are defined as companies with between 50 and 499 employees. Mid-sized businesses added 35,867 employees in the last year, which is an increase of 6.1% as compared to the national average of 4.7%.
Large businesses are defined as companies with more than 500 employees. Large businesses added 25,761 employees in the last year, which is an increase of 14.5% as compared to the national average of 9.2%.
Alabama Avg Weekly Wages by Business Size
Alabama workers in every size business are paid less than the national average. The smallest companies in Alabama (those with fewer than 5 employees) pay workers 7.0% less than the national average ($939 per week as compared to the national average of $1,005 per week). The largest companies in Alabama (those with more than 1,000 employees) pay 36.8% workers below the national average ($1,398 per week as compared to the national average of $1,913 per week).Average weekly wages in small businesses added $100 per week in the last year, which is an increase of 3.1% as compared to the national average of 3.1%. Employees of mid-sized businesses added $90 in wages per week in the last year, which is an increase of 3.2% as compared to the national average of 1.3%.
Employees of large businesses added $22 of weekly wages in the last year, which is an increase of 0.8% as compared to the national average of 2.1%.
Top Industries for Business and Employment
The table below illustrates the largest industries in the state, by number of businesses:Table: Top 10 Industries by # of Businesses
| Industry | # Businesses | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurants and other eating places | 8,126 | 2.1% |
| Wholesale trade agents and brokers | 5,735 | -3.3% |
| Private households | 3,350 | 4.0% |
| Gasoline stations with convenience stores | 3,333 | 1.4% |
| Offices of physicians | 3,253 | -2.1% |
| Computer systems design and related services | 2,605 | -1.7% |
| Offices of lawyers | 2,544 | -1.9% |
| Insurance agencies and brokerages | 2,498 | 2.5% |
| Management consulting services | 2,218 | 3.2% |
| Accounting and bookkeeping services | 2,024 | 1.4% |
The table below illustrates the largest industries in the state, by number of employees:
Table: Top 10 Industries by # of Employees
| Industry | # Employees | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurants and other eating places | 157,395 | 0.3% |
| Temporary help services | 56,798 | -0.8% |
| General merchandise stores including warehouse clubs and supercenters | 44,246 | -0.2% |
| General medical and surgical hospitals | 42,266 | 2.5% |
| Offices of physicians | 41,383 | 1.2% |
| Supermarkets and other grocery stores | 29,878 | 0.5% |
| Nursing care facilities skilled nursing | 27,274 | -0.3% |
| Commercial banking | 25,765 | -1.0% |
| Computer systems design and related services | 25,661 | 1.7% |
| Animal slaughtering and processing | 24,666 | 3.7% |
The table below illustrates the largest industries in the state, by highest wages:
Table: Top 10 Industries by Weekly Wage
| Industry | Wkly Wages | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Coal and other mineral merchant wholesalers | $4,643 | 13.8% |
| Investment banking and securities dealing | $4,589 | 21.4% |
| Securities brokerage | $3,280 | 2.7% |
| Social science and humanities research | $2,805 | 37.1% |
| Computer and software merchant wholesalers | $2,790 | -8.3% |
| Crude petroleum extraction | $2,633 | 1.0% |
| Agents and managers for public figures | $2,458 | 40.5% |
| Other insurance related activities | $2,388 | -5.7% |
| Portfolio management | $2,368 | 1.5% |
| Inland water transportation | $2,356 | -10.3% |
Data Sources
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