Fewer job openings
Alabama’s Job openings were down in August, reports AL.com’s Hannah Denham.
The stats come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and we’re just now seeing the seasonally adjusted August numbers because of a delay caused by the federal government shutdown.
Those stats showed that there were around 105,000 job openings in Alabama in August. That was 5% fewer than there were in July and 13% fewer than August 2024. Actual hiring, at around 73,000 new hires, had been flat for a few months but was down almost 8% year-over-year.
Nationally, the number of job openings fell around 5% from the previous August. While that’s a much smaller percentage than Alabama’s 13%, it leaves the job-openings rates for the U.S. and state pretty close at 4.3% and 4.5%, respectively.
Economic analysts have blamed a few things for this year’s slowdown in hiring. The tariffs and trade wars have left employers with some uncertainty over whether now is a good time to grow their payrolls. And the Fed’s rate hikes in recent years to battle inflation have made it more expensive for business to expand.
The good news is that unemployment is still low in Alabama and the U.S. Which means fewer people are taking new jobs but most people are keeping their jobs, too as businesses wait to see where we go from here.
I mentioned the Fed, and we’re all wondering how aggressive it becomes in lowering the federal funds rate going forward. President Trump has been vocal about his desire for rate cuts, something he also called for during his last term. Many are expecting another quarter-point cut this month.
One issue is that the shutdown has the Fed making the call without as much statistical data as it would otherwise have. Another is that it could choose to be less cautious than the White House desires because unemployment is low and inflation is staying above the Fed’s target rate.
A larger rate cut would loosen the money supply more, possibly sparking more growth but also possibly adding to the inflationary pressure.
Still No. 1
The Super 7 state high school football finals are underway in familiar fashion.
AL.com’s Ben Thomas reports that Thompson High School of Alabaster defeated Opelika 34-3 in Class 7A at Birmingham’s Protective Stadium.
Thompson has won two state titles in a row and six of the past seven.
The Warriors finished the season 11-3. The only close game they played in the playoffs was their 35-34 semifinals win over Central-Phenix City.
Today, in order, will be the Class 3A, 1A and 5A title games. Then on Friday it’ll be Classes 4A, 2A and 6A.
Monkey business
WKRG News 5 reports that federal agents with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service found at least a dozen caged monkeys in a Tillman’s Corner home in Mobile County.
I realize that raises a lot of questions in everybody’s minds, but calls to authorities involved weren’t returned right away and no arrests were announced on Wednesday.
Still, I wanted to share this because we get only one or two stories a year that involve monkeys, which, primatologists agree, are not native to Alabama.
A neighbor did tell WKRG that as a child she once played with monkeys from the residence. She said she did not know the owners personally, however.
Quoting
“Paul Finebaum has been a fixture in living rooms, tailgates, and truck radios across Alabama for decades, and his decision not to run for the United States Senate means folks in Alabama and around the nation can keep enjoying his insightful conversations surrounding college football.”
U.S. Rep. Barry Moore of Enterprise, who leads fellow Senate candidates in the early fundraising and no longer has to face Finebaum in the primary. Click here for more on that race.
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