GADSDEN, Alabama — Gadsden Mayor Sherman Guyton Tuesday touted the city’s position among others its size, using figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Guyton’s point: Gadsden is doing well in a challenging economy, and has the ability to improve as the national picture improves.
“If we keep plugging along like we’re doing, and everybody stays on the same page,” he said, “the City of Gadsden will be well positioned to do some good things. Let’s just keep it positive and keeping working on it together.”
The numbers Guyton cited were labor statistics analyzed by Garner Economics, which published a research report on wage growth in U.S. metropolitan areas for 2010 through 2012.
Guyton said, according to them, Gadsden’s wage growth was the 15th best in the nation during the past two years. Guyton also mentioned Area Development magazine calling Gadsden a “leading location” in the U.S. for economic and job growth.
“Gadsden ranked among the top 50 cities in the U.S., and ranked among the top 20 southern cities,” Guyton said. “Our manufacturing job growth as a percentage of the population was second best in the state during 2007-2012. Our employment growth as a percentage of the population was third best in the state, and the reduction in the local unemployment rate was third best in the state.”
By William Thornton