Labor availability

Population

852,300 persons live within a 50-mile, labor-drawing radius of Gadsden's airport.

Unemployment

1,141 residents of Etowah County were unemployed as of December 2023 according to the Alabama Department of Labor, constituting an unemployment rate of 2.9%.

Underemployment

Approximately 9,133 are underemployed in Etowah County, according to estimates prepared by the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Alabama.

Job Applicants

As of March 2024 there were 818 active resumes and for the period of January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2023 there have been 1,418 Self-Registrations in the system for employment at the Gadsden Career Center office.

Commuting Patterns

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 18,163 Etowah County residents commute outside the county to work, and 14,290 of those employed in the Gadsden area commute in from other counties.

High School Graduates

A total of 947 students graduated from high school in May of 2023, in the Gadsden City, Atalla City and Etowah County School Systems.
 

Community College Students

1,084 students enrolled in the Gadsden State Community College workforce development program for the 2022 Fall Semester.