MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – State leaders officially launched Alabama’s Department of Workforce on the Capitol steps Thursday morning.
The new department is being hailed as a major consolidation of employment resources.
In the 2024 legislative session, lawmakers passed an act to reconstruct the state’s Department of Labor.
“We are home to the hardest working and the most dedicated workforce in the nation,” said Gov. Kay Ivey (R-Alabama) at the launch event.
Gov. Ivey said the Alabama Department of Workforce will help Alabamians be active workers in the state. Alabama’s unemployment is just under three percent, while the national average is about 4.5 percent.
However, Gov. Ivey said Alabama’s workforce participation is low. According to the Alabama Department of Workforce, the state’s workforce participation is roughly 57 percent.
Former Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Reed is the department’s first secretary. He said the goal is to give Alabamians all the tools they need to be successful in the job hunt, job training and job retention.
“Our mission was being to be able to understand how do we increase the number of workers in Alabama, and how do we provide opportunities for them to have the best training and be the most well-educated in America?” said Sec. Reed.
The launch brought bipartisan support. Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton (D) said the consolidation of the state’s multitude of job-related programs will be a game-changer to getting job-centric information out to the public.
“Workforce was [separated], and now it’s [all together], and so that gives us the opportunity to know where jobs are, how we can match talent with jobs,” he said. “I’m so proud of what we’re doing here in the state of Alabama.”
More information about Alabama’s Department of Workforce can be found on their website.
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