Workforce Happenings

According to SmartAsset Tuscaloosa is the highest ranked Southern metro area on this list, with 21.43% of the workforce employed in manufacturing.

"It really showcases the growth of our community. The fact that Tuscaloosa was benchmarked against 400 metro areas across the country and we came out number three is something to be proud of," said Donny Jones, COO of the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama and Executive Director of West AlabamaWorks!.

Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, Phifer Inc, Nucor Corporation, Lear Corp, Hanna Steel Corporation, Samvardhana Motherson Peguform (SMP), Brose Tuscaloosa, and many more are setting the bar high for manufacturing excellence according to Smart Asset.

"As we celebrate this for Tuscaloosa County, we also have to understand that it's our rural counties as well that we must celebrate," said Jones. "From those rural counties come the workers who really make this recognition possible. It's really an award for West Alabama and it's a recognition that we really look at and value."

SmartAsset, analyzed nearly 400 metro areas across the following metrics: manufacturing as a percentage of the workforce, job growth from 2016 to 2019, job growth from 2018 to 2019, income growth from 2016 to 2019, income growth from 2018 to 2019, housing costs as a percentage of income and the September 2021 unemployment rate. 

Read More: Smartasset.com