Category: Research Library

One-fourth of State’s Children Live in Poverty,  Black Belt Counties Fare the Worst, Shelby Best

  • August 7th, 2019

One-fourth of State’s Children Live in Poverty,
Black Belt Counties Fare the Worst, Shelby Best


It promises to be a bleak holiday season for nearly a fourth of Alabama’s children who are considered to be living in poverty, according to U.S. Census Bureau information released today (Thursday, Dec. 20) by The University of Alabama’s Alabama State Data Center.

The majority of these children live in the fertile farming area known as the Black Belt for its deep black soil, but where many of the residents are African-American.

Alabama has more than a quarter of a million children (254,628) from birth through age 17 who are living in poverty. The figure represents 23.4 percent of the total number of children in the state. Six states have higher child poverty rates than Alabama.

Greene County ranks highest among the state’s 67 counties for percent of its children living in poverty, although Wilcox County ranks highest for the largest percent of its total population living in poverty. Forty-one percent of Greene County’s children are living below the poverty line.

The counties following Greene with the highest percentages of poor children are Perry (40.0 percent), Wilcox (39.9), Macon (39.2), Dallas (37.3), Sumter (36.3), Lowndes (35.4), Conecuh (34.9), Bullock (34.5), and Hale (33.0). Eight of these counties (Wilcox, Perry, Greene, Macon, Sumter, Lowndes, Dallas, and Bullock) rank in the top 100 poorest counties in the nation, but none is among the top 10 poorest in the nation.

“The 20 counties with the highest percentages of children living in poverty all are small population, heavily rural counties,” said Annette Jones Watters, manager of the ASDC.

“All of these 20 are in the southern half of the state, with the exception of Pickens County. And Pickens County almost qualifies as being a southern tier county—it borders two of the other counties on the list,” she added.

“‘Poor’ should not be confused with “‘rural,’” Watters noted. “Several rural counties are among the counties with the lowest poverty rates,” she said. “For example, in Cullman County, only 18.8 percent of the children are living in poverty. That is still a number that is too high, but it is below the state and even the national averages.”

The five Alabama counties with the smallest proportions of poor children are Autauga (17.7 percent), Madison (17.6), Morgan (17.2), Baldwin (16.8), and Shelby (9.3) counties. Nationally, 18.9 percent of children between the ages of birth and 17 live in poverty.

The states with child poverty rates higher than Alabama’s are the District of Columbia (30.5 percent), New Mexico (27.1), Louisiana (25.7), West Virginia (24.2), Mississippi (23.9), and Arkansas (23.5).

These estimates are for the year 1998 and should not be confused with Census 2000 results, Watters said. “Census 2000 data on income and poverty at the county level will not be released until next year,” Watters said. Also, she explained, the estimates released today are not the same as estimates from the Census Bureau’s March Current Population Survey (CPS), released every September for the nation and states.

The estimates released today are based on a model and are used in administering federal programs. The model that produced these estimates uses 1990 census data, current records about recipients of food stamps, results from the March CPS, and other kinds of administrative records.

Rural Alabama

  • August 7th, 2019

Rural Alabama

If Alabamians think rural life consists of a simple existence in a pastoral setting near a small town, they haven’t been paying attention for the past 50 years. Rural Alabama has always been more complex than that scenario. The same forces transforming the rest of society are at play in rural areas as well— rapid technological change, global business strategies, shifts in occupational demand, and access to working capital are examples. The economic development strategies for rural areas have to be as sophisticated and aggressive as those for metro areas in order to bring enhanced prosperity to the more sparsely populated parts of the state.

Alabama has 46 of 67 counties in which more than 50 percent of the people live in a rural area. But rural does not mean isolated. Some of Alabama’s rural counties (St. Clair, Blount, Limestone, Elmore, Baldwin) are actually part of a federally-defined metropolitan area. Most rural counties contain a small town that is an economic anchor for the local area. Many rural counties have good roads and highways that have reduced the cultural and economic isolation of the past.

Rural also does not necessarily mean agricultural. Farming accounts for 3.3 percent of the total personal income in Alabama’s rural counties, from a high of 14.1 percent in Crenshaw County to a low of 0.2 percent in Fayette County. The importance of farming has been declining for decades in rural Alabama; other forces are driving rural growth. Some rural counties that are part of or near growing metropolitan areas have benefited economically from the metro area’s growth. Workers in central business districts don’t always want to live in the city where they work. Some seek the scenic attractions of rural areas within commuting distance of their jobs. Commercial and real estate development, not agricultural activity, accompany population growth in outlying areas.

Although some rural Alabama areas saw prosperity during the decade of the 1990s, many did not. Many did not have a sufficient pool of workforce skills to attract high wage jobs. Although rural Alabamians have made progress in improving their educational status during the decade, quality jobs requiring college-educated workers remain more a dream than a reality in much of rural Alabama. Not all industries require advanced educational credentials. But some rural counties do not have infrastructure in place to support new-economy-style industries. For example, rural counties need hospitality services in order to support a vigorous tourism industry, or sufficient technology and transportation infrastructure to attract high wage manufacturing jobs. In some rural areas the population has been aging out of the civilian labor force, while younger workers have moved away.

These problems are not unique to rural Alabama. They are echoed in the rural portions of every state in the union. Leaders of rural areas everywhere voice the same concerns:

  1. The lack of telecommunications infrastructure and the high cost of local service
  2. Few residents with skills in high technology
  3. A lack of start-up business capital
  4. An unproductive conflict between older, conservative political views and newer, more progressive ones
  5. Lack of cooperation among governmental bodies
  6. Lack of legislative support for rural initiatives

Future projections for prosperity in rural areas offer little hope for improvement unless these kinds of concerns are addressed effectively.

Mark Drabenstott, vice president and director of the Center for the Study of Rural America at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City has said that Americans must change the way they view rural communities and these communities in turn must change the way they see themselves. Communities and legislators must rethink rural state and local development policies. He identified four important components of a successful rural policy:

  1. Development of a broadband communications infrastructure
  2. Facilitation of rural entrepreneurship
  3. Conversion from commodity-based to product-based agriculture, and
  4. Marketing of green space for tourism and residential development.

To follow any of these paths, however, economic leaders should be aware of potential dangers and difficulties.

Creating recreational opportunities and permanent residential communities for those seeking a scenic environment is certainly within the scope and range of many rural Alabama locales. Still, there is some risk in the strategy of recruiting retirees. Rural areas need to be able to provide high quality, accessible health care for a permanent population that moves quickly from active retiree to assisted living status. Rural areas that do not have an excellent health care infrastructure with a working age population trained for and interested in health maintenance occupations should be wary of instituting a vigorous recruitment of senior citizens.

Tourism can also be a two-edged sword. Tourism employment can be very seasonal, and the occupations required to support tourism include a large number of low-wage, low-skill jobs with little or no upward mobility, for example, cashier, housekeeper, counter clerk, short order cook, busboy, janitor, or groundskeeper. Jobs that demand persons with no more than a terminal high school education and some on-the-job training will not raise the average per capita personal income for counties relying primarily on these occupational groups. On the other hand, many communities in Alabama have embraced tourism as a way to restart economic growth. If a region’s assets include a pleasant climate, beautiful scenery, a civilian labor force without advanced technological skills, and properties that are worth visiting, then tourism as part of a development plan makes sense.

Rural areas in every state, including Alabama, have found various strategies that work to revitalize a lackadaisical economy. One is a cooperative arrangement with a local university. When local rural leaders and university leaders team up, the partnership can be a catalyst for economic growth. Universities can be instrumental in bringing applications of new technologies; they can encourage civic involvement; and they can help close the gap between available or potential jobs and worker skills. Every university in Alabama has outreach programs and a great many positive things are now occurring between higher education and rural Alabama. But more is possible.

Every rural region of Alabama has strengths. We are rightly proud of our natural resources, fertile soil, and navigable waterways. But we should not minimize less obvious strengths such as collaborative initiatives among governmental agencies, entrepreneur-supportive education programs, residents with a penchant for innovative thinking, or well-coordinated efforts to attract additional capital. A mindset that dwells on the negatives can overlook the positives. Rural Alabama communities that understand the economic and social forces at work in their areas can use that understanding to develop appropriate development strategies. Just as rural doesn’t have to mean isolated or agricultural, rural also doesn’t have to mean poor.

Annette Jones Watters

Sources: 
The Regional Economy of Upstate 
New York: Summer Supplement, Buffalo Branch, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Summer 2001.

U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Information System, 2001.

U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 1990 and 2000 Censuses of Population.

Alabama’s Census 2000 Urbanized Areas

  • August 7th, 2019

Alabama’s Census 2000 Urbanized Areas


 

The Census Bureau has new definitions of Urbanized Areas (UAs) based on Census 2000 data. (Please remember that an urbanized area is not the same as the incorporated city limits; neither is it the same as the metropolitan area. For a complete description of the Census 2000 definition of urbanized areas, see the March 15, 2002 Federal Register, or see the Research Brief Urban Area Criteria for Census 2000 posted at the CBER web site.)

 

Alabama Urbanized Areas and their UA Population
Anniston 75,840
Auburn 60,137
Birmingham 663,615
Decatur 52,315
Dothan 60,792
Florence 71,299
Gadsden 61,709
Huntsville 213,253
Mobile 317,605
Montgomery 196,892
Tuscaloosa 116,888

Three Alabama urbanized areas have had significant changes:

  1. Gadsden—does not include significant portions of the 1990 Census UA, which did not qualify for inclusion in the Census 2000 UA.
  2. Montgomery—does not include the separate Prattville, Alabama Urban Cluster, which was defined from part of the 1990 census UA.
  3. Auburn—was Auburn-Opelika, but is now called Auburn.

As a result of Census 2000, there are 453 urbanized areas in the United States, plus a few others in Puerto Rico and the other outlying territories. This is an increase from the 405 urbanized areas based on the 1990 census. The increase results from some entirely new urbanized areas, plus some that were created from splitting existing areas, minus 29 areas that were combined, and one that failed to qualify under the new criteria.

Under the new rules, many nonresidential areas that would be perceived as clearly part of the urban framework (for example, industrial, commercial, and other types of developed areas with employment) do not qualify for inclusion in a Census 2000 urban area. The Census Bureau is continuing research to determine if there are objective and consistent ways to address issues involving inclusion of nonresidential urban land uses in urban areas in future censuses.

This notice also alerted readers that in the future the Federal Register will make available the lists of the urban clusters and the major airports evaluated for inclusion in qualifying urbanized areas and urban clusters.

A complete list of the urbanized areas and urban clusters and the list of central places will be available from the Census Bureau’s Urban and Rural Classification Web page at:
http://www.census.gov/geo/www/ua/ua_2k.html

The TIGER/Line files that contain the boundaries, names, and codes of urbanized areas and urban clusters will be available from the Census Bureau’s TIGER/Line Web page at:
http://www.census.gov/geo/www/tiger/index.html

Maps produced by the Census Bureau showing the boundaries and component geographic entities of urbanized areas and urban clusters will be available in late 2002. Data users should monitor the Rural Classification Web page mentioned above to find exactly when the maps will be available.

 

 

Women Own More Than Third of Businesses in State

  • August 6th, 2019

Women Own More Than Third of Businesses in State


Women own more than 71,000 businesses in Alabama, which is more than a third of the business firms in the state, according to U.S. Census Bureau data released earlier this week by the Alabama State Data Center.

“Women-owned firms generated more than $7.2 billion in sales and receipts in 1992, the latest year for which we have available data,” said Annette Watters, ASDC manager. “Many firms in Alabama are one-person operations with no paid employees, but women own a quarter of all the firms in the state that do have employees.

“In terms of payroll generated, women-owned firms in Alabama are responsible for more than $1 billion,” said Watters, whose center falls under the direction of The University of Alabama College of Commerce and Business Administration and its Center for Business and Economic Research. “That means more than one payroll dollar out of every six in the state is paid by a business owned by a woman.”

On the national front, she said, Census data shows that most women-owned firms are individual proprietorships, although an increasing number of females own corporations or partnerships. And while businesses owned by women have traditionally been in the retail trade of service sectors, beginning at the start of the 1990s an increase was seen in the number of wholesale trade and manufacturing businesses owned by women.

California recorded the most women-owned firms in 1992, with Texas coming in second. Also, while New York was slightly behind Texas in the number of firms, it did rank second in terms of receipts from women-owned businesses.

“Nationally, within retail, women are particularly concentrated in apparel and accessory stores, where they own 54.2 percent of all firms and account for 34.3 percent of gross receipts,” said the Data Center manager. “For miscellaneous retail stores, women-owned firms are 53 percent of all firms and are responsible for 31 percent of gross receipts.

“We are also seeing a growing national trend with women owning automotive dealerships and gasoline service stations,” she said. “And, the number of women-owned construction businesses in the country nearly doubled between 1987 and 1992.”

Watters said more detailed data on the types of women-owned businesses in Alabama and each of its counties will be released in April.

The Center for Business and Economic Research is a division of research and service of UA’s College of Commerce and Business Administration, and the Alabama State Data Center works closely with the U.S. Census Bureau to track demographic, economic and population statistics. Periodically, CBER publishes the Economic Abstract of Alabama, which provides voluminous data on every county and city in the state.

**03/96

Alabama’s Population Shows Strongest Growth in the Suburbs

  • August 6th, 2019

Alabama’s Population Shows Strongest Growth in the Suburbs


In the first half of the 1990s, Alabama’s population grew 5.3 percent, a rate triple the 1.7 percent growth rate seen from 1985 to 1990. From April 1, 1990 through July 1, 1995, the state added 212,593 new residents, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates released by the Alabama State Data Center at The University of Alabama.

More than 40 percent of Alabama’s population increase was due to net migration, a positive reflection on the state’s attractiveness as a place to live and work. Since the 1990 Census, an estimated 91,073 more people moved into Alabama than moved out.

Strongest growth in the 1990s has focused on the suburban counties in Alabama’s larger metropolitan areas. Shelby County in the Birmingham MSA grew at the fastest pace, adding 24,137 residents for a 24.3 percent gain. While this total includes 18,467 net migrants, it is bolstered by the county’s youthful population. Shelby had the highest rate of natural increase through mid-1995 of any county in Alabama — for every death there were 2.6 births compared to a statewide ratio of 1.5 births per death. Madison, Lee, and Dale were the only other Alabama counties with a ratio of 2.0 or higher.

The Birmingham MSA placed two other counties among the top growth leaders. St. Clair’s population increased by 7,902, a 15.9 percent increase, while Blount County added 3,473 residents for an 8.8 percent gain. Growth in the Birmingham MSA as whole was a more modest 5.0 percent as a net of 9,610 residents exiting Jefferson County contributed to the population gains in Shelby, St. Clair, and Blount.

Baldwin County, in the Mobile MSA, added 21,918 residents for a 22.3 percent gain. At 19,347, Baldwin had more net inmigrants than Shelby, but its niche as a haven for retirees contributed to a slower rate of natural increase. Elderly accounted for 15.2 percent of Baldwin County’s population in 1995 compared to 13.0 percent for the state and just 7.5 percent for Shelby County.

With the population of Mobile County growing by 18,770 for a moderate 5.0 percent gain, the Mobile MSA posted a growth rate of 8.5 percent. This was the highest of any of Alabama’s metropolitan areas.

Growth in the suburban counties of the Montgomery MSA was strong with Elmore County adding 7,861 residents for a 16.0 percent gain and Autauga growing by 15.1 percent, or 5,159 people. Montgomery County, where slightly more people moved out than in during the half-decade, saw growth of 4.7 percent. Overall, the Montgomery MSA growth rate of 7.8 percent ranked third among Alabama’s ten metropolitan areas.

Despite cutbacks in key areas of its economic base since 1990, the Huntsville MSA has continued to grow, posting a second highest 8.4 percent population increase. Gains were strongest in Limestone County where 5,209 new residents boosted the county’s population by 9.6 percent. Still, Madison County grew by an above average 8.1 percent.

Russell County, in the Columbus, Georgia MSA, added 4,576 residents for an increase of 9.8 percent.

With the strongest population growth in the 1990s centered in its suburban metropolitan counties, Alabama is gradually becoming more urban. At mid-decade, 66.3 percent of the estimated 4,252,982 Alabamians were living in its ten metropolitan areas, up from 65.9 percent in 1990.

Still, rural Alabama is not dying. While population growth rates between April 1, 1990 and July 1, 1995 vary considerably among the 46 nonmetropolitan counties, estimates show that all but seven counties have been growing. And only one, Macon County, has shown a significant population decline.

Two nonmetropolitan counties, each bordering three or more metropolitan area counties, rank among the ten fastest growing in the state. In North Alabama, Marshall County posted a 10.4 percent gain. And the population of rural Bibb County increased by 8.2 percent.

The population of eight other rural counties also grew at or above the state’s 5.3 percent growth rate. These counties and their growth rates include: Lee (7.9 percent), Cherokee (7.6 percent), Chilton (7.6 percent), Cullman (7.2 percent), Winston (6.5 percent), Coosa (5.6 percent), Franklin (5.4 percent), and Coffee (5.3 percent).

Alabama’s 10 Fastest Growing Counties

                   Population             Change
               4/1/90    7/1/95       Number  Percent

Shelby         99,363   123,500       24,137     24.3
Baldwin        98,280   120,198       21,918     22.3
Elmore         49,210    57,071        7,861     16.0
St. Clair      49,811    57,713        7,902     15.9
Autauga        34,222    39,381        5,159     15.1
Marshall       70,832    78,195        7,363     10.4
Russell        46,860    51,436        4,576      9.8
Limestone      54,135    59,344        5,209      9.6
Blount         39,248    42,721        3,473      8.8
Bibb           16,576    17,942        1,366      8.2

**5/96

Changes in Retailing in Alabama and Alabama MSAs, 1987-92

  • August 6th, 2019

Changes in Retailing in Alabama and Alabama MSAs, 1987-92


With sales and employees up and the number of stores down, the average Alabama retail establishment was larger in 1992 than in 1987. Alabama counted 24,059 retail establishments in 1992, a drop of 33 stores from 1987, according to data collected by the Census Bureau in the 1987 and 1992 retail censuses. In contrast, total retail sales grew by 30.4 percent, or 5.7 percent when adjusted for inflation. Current dollar sales in 1992 amounted to $27.7 billion, up from $21.3 billion in 1987. The number of Alabamians employed in retail trade reached 269,662 in 1992, an increase of 7.9 percent during the five years.

Growth in Alabama’s retail sector exceeded that of the nation, where inflation-adjusted sales were up 2.8 percent and employment increased by 3.5 percent. Almost every Alabama retail category saw fewer stores and higher sales. While the number of general merchandise stores dropped 1.6 percent, real sales climbed 19.2 percent. Sales of gasoline service stations were up 19.2 percent also, with a 2.0 percent decline in businesses. The largest contrast was a 20.3 percent increase in constant dollar drug store sales in the face of a 12.0 percent decline in stores.

While still Alabama’s largest retail sector when measured by sales in 1992, the automotive category was the only group to report a decline in real sales, amounting to 7.3 percent for the five years. There were 106 fewer automotive establishments and 2,284 fewer employees in 1992.

Apparel and accessory stores saw the greatest attrition; there were 413 fewer stores in 1992 for a drop of 16.8 percent since 1987. Eating and drinking places bolstered their status as the most frequent type of retail business across the state: the 5,326 establishments counted in 1992 represents a 14.7 percent increase. However, with constant dollar sales increasing a lesser 11.2 percent, sales per eating and drinking place were actually down across the period. The automotive sector was the only other category to see declining average inflation-adjusted sales per establishment.

Surveying Alabama’s retail landscape in 1992, eating and drinking places were the most plentiful and the most labor-intensive. Sales per employee averaged just $28,369 in 1992, compared to an overall retail average of $102,846. These establishments employed 32.6 percent of all retail workers in 1992 while generating just 9.0 percent of total sales. With 3,128 stores and 46,202 employees, the food sector was the second most prevalent retail establishment and employer. Food stores accounted for 17.1 percent of retail employment and 20.5 percent of sales.

While Alabama counted only 818 general merchandise establishments in 1992, stores were large relative to other retail categories. An average 41 employees and $4.77 million in sales per store compares to an average 11 employees and $1.15 million in sales across all retail businesses. With 14.1 percent of sales and 12.3 percent of employees, general merchandise ranked as the third largest retail category.

At $288,868, automotive sales per employee were considerably higher than for any other group; gasoline service stations ranked second at $185,481. Alabamians continued to spend the largest share of their retail dollars on automobiles and other vehicles and parts: in 1992, 22.3 percent of all retail purchases were made in the automotive sector.

Retail Sales in Alabama MSAs

Alabama’s ten metropolitan areas dominate the state’s retail economy. In 1992, 67.3 percent of Alabamians lived in its 21 metropolitan counties (including Russell, which is part of the Columbus, Georgia MSA). And, according to the 1992 Census of Retail Trade, 74.2 percent of all retail sales were transacted in these MSA counties.

Urban stores tended to be larger than their rural counterparts; these establishments employed 74.8 percent of retail workers while accounting for 68.0 percent of all retail businesses. Employment per store averaged 12.3 in metropolitan area counties and 8.9 elsewhere. Overall, the 16,374 retail establishments located in metropolitan areas employed 201,613 and generated almost $20.6 billion in sales in 1992.

The Birmingham MSA, with 20.7 percent of the state’s 1992 population and 24.3 percent of retail sales, reported the highest sales per capita at $7,837. Mobile ranked as the state’s second largest retail market: the Mobile MSA produced 13.0 percent of total sales in 1992, but placed just sixth in per capita retail sales. Dothan, Florence, Huntsville, and Montgomery all surpassed the U.S. average of $7,429 in 1992 per capita sales. Sales were weakest in the Decatur and Gadsden metropolitan areas, falling below the statewide average of $6,703 per person.

Average retail salaries ranged from a high of $11,946 in the Birmingham MSA to a low of $10,308 in Anniston. Only Birmingham, Huntsville, and Mobile reported a higher payroll per employee than the statewide average of $11,083 in 1992.

Changes in Alabama’s metropolitan area retail economies varied during the five years from 1987 through 1992. Most saw inflation-adjusted sales rise. Retail sales climbed 14.1 percent in Florence and 9.2 percent in Decatur. Sales gains also exceeded the statewide average of 5.7 percent in Mobile, Huntsville, and Montgomery. But two MSAs saw the value of sales fall during the period: constant dollar sales dropped 7.7 percent in Gadsden and 3.8 percent in Dothan.

The number of retail employees was up in all areas except Gadsden; double-digit gains were seen in Montgomery, Decatur, Florence, Tuscaloosa, and Huntsville. Just four of the ten MSAs posted increases in the number of retail establishments, however; these included Montgomery, up a sizeable 9.8 percent, Decatur, Huntsville, and Anniston.

Some MSAs saw marked increases in specific retail categories. The number of general merchandise stores climbed 26.1 percent in the Dothan MSA and 16.7 percent in Anniston between 1982 and 1992. The Decatur MSA saw a 28.2 percent increase in lumber and hardware stores and a 25.0 percent gain in gas stations. Eating and drinking establishments were up 28.3 percent in Montgomery, 20.2 percent in Florence, and 19.4 percent in the Huntsville MSA. The number of food stores in the Montgomery MSA increased by 12.9 percent.

**6/96

Dimensions of Alabama’s Black Population

  • August 6th, 2019

Dimensions of Alabama’s Black Population


POPULATION

Most (55 percent) African Americans live in the South. Seventeen percent live in the Northeast, 20 percent in the Midwest, and 8 percent in the West.

In the United States there are about 33 million African Americans–about 13 percent of the total U.S. population. However, in Alabama, African Americans make up about 25 percent of the total population.

The black population is not evenly distributed throughout the state. There are 10 counties in Alabama where blacks are a majority of the population. They are, in rank order:

County                            Percent Black Population
Macon County                                86.2
Greene County                               80.6
Lowndes County                              74.9
Bullock County                              72.7
Sumter County                               70.7
Wilcox County                               69.2
Perry County                                64.8
Hale County                                 59.7
Dallas County                               58.3
Marengo County                              51.1

Source: 1990 Census of Population and Alabama State Data Center, special tabulation.

Alabama’s black population is growing faster than the white population. Alabama’s black residents are more concentrated in younger age groups, while at the same time the white population has more concentration than the black population in ages over 45. In the coming decades a larger percentage of black women than white women will be of child bearing age.

In 1990 white women in Alabama averaged 1.8 children in their lifetime, while nonwhite women averaged 2.45. These fertility rates are expected to continue into the next century, and in this respect Alabama is following a national trend.

BUSINESSES

Alabama ranks ninth in the nation in percentage of black-owned businesses. In Alabama, the number of black-owned businesses increased from 10,085 in 1987 to 14,707 in 1992, or a 46 percent growth rate.

During the same time period, sales and receipts of black firms in the state went from $439,966,000 in 1987 to $535,000,000 in 1992.

EMPLOYMENT

There are more black women at work in Alabama than black men. Of employed black Alabamians, 53 percent are women and 47 percent are men.

Nationally, there are more black women than black men in the executive, administrative, managerial, and professional specialty occupations. The same trend holds true in Alabama. Seventeen percent of employed black women in our state hold executive, managerial, or professional positions, whereas 10 percent of black Alabama men work in these occupations.

Alabama                                  Total        Women       Men
Employed black persons                    100%         100%      100%
Managerial, executvie, adminis             14%          17%       10%
Technical, sales, and adminis support      22%          30%       13%
Service                                    23%          29%       16%
Farming                                     2%           1%        4%
Precision production, craft, repair         9%           3%       16%
Operators, fabricators, laborers           30%          20%       41%

Source: 1990 Census of Population and Alabama State Data Center, special tabulation.

**7/96

Alabama Retail Sales Post Strong Gains

  • August 6th, 2019

Alabama Retail Sales Post Strong Gains


Total unadjusted sales for all retail stores in Alabama were an estimated $2.89 billion during March 1996, the latest month for which sales data are available. Sales increased 15.0 percent over February 1996 and 3.5 percent compared with March 1995.

Data from the Alabama Department of Revenue, compiled by the Center for Business and Economic Research at The University of Alabama, show that total retail sales for the first quarter of 1996 were 5.7 percent higher than sales in the first quarter of 1995. Nationally, retail sales gained an average of 6.8 percent, according to numbers from the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Strongest sales growth in Alabama came from the general merchandise category where sales for the first quarter of 1996 were 8.6 percent higher than 1995 first quarter sales. This outpaced average U.S. gains of 5.0 percent. Apparel and accessory sales were up a substantial 8.4 percent over year ago sales; nationally apparel sales rose 4.6 percent. Other retail groups with above average growth for the quarter include hardware and lumber, up 4.6 percent; food, up 6.4 percent; and eating and drinking places, up 5.5 percent.

The state’s automotive group posted a gain of 4.7 percent for the first quarter, relatively weak compared to the 12.5 percent increase seen nationwide. Furniture sales, up 3.1 percent, also grew at less than half the national average, while gasoline service station sales declined.

Looking at 1995, total retail sales for the year reached $32.8 billion in Alabama, 5.9 percent higher than the $31.0 billion reported in 1994. Strongest gains came from automotive sector sales of $6.3 billion, up 8.2 percent over the previous year. Sales of eating and drinking establishments increased a healthy 5.9 percent. Sector sales by category are reported in Table 1.

Current dollar sales in the state’s ten metropolitan areas all increased in 1995, with gains ranging from 6.6 percent in the Dothan MSA and 5.5 percent in Mobile down to 3.0 percent in Montgomery and 2.3 percent in the Huntsville MSA. Alabama’s 46 nonmetropolitan counties outpaced the metro-area counties with retail sales gains of 9.5 percent during 1995. However, nonmetropolitan county sales amounted to just $9.4 billion, or 28.5 percent of the state’s total. Sales in the 21 metropolitan counties totaled $23.5 billion in 1995, up 4.5 percent for the year. MSA and county retail sales are summarized in Table 2.

        Alabama Total Retail Sales, 1990-1995

               Sales ($1,000)     Percent Change

     1990        24,499,160
     1991        24,703,232            0.8
     1992        26,728,109            8.2
     1993        28,758,049            7.6
     1994        31,007,474            7.8
     1995        32,837,858            5.9

**8/96

Alabama’s Housing Units and Households Increase

  • August 6th, 2019

Alabama’s Housing Units and Households Increase


Alabama had an estimated 1,783,000 housing units on July 1, 1995, up from 1,670,000 reported on April 1, 1990. This 6.7 percent increase compares to a 5.6 percent gain for the U.S. According to the Census Bureau, the number of households in Alabama grew 6.4 percent, increasing from 1,507,000 on April 1, 1990 to 1,602,000 as of July 1, 1995. Gains nationwide amounted to 5.6 percent.

The aging of the baby boom generation boosted the number of Alabama households with a householder aged 45 to 54 by 22.3 percent between April 1, 1990 and July 1, 1995 and those with householders 35 to 44 by 10.4 percent. Alabama households with householders aged 15 to 24 increased 3.5 percent; 55 to 64, 1.5 percent; and 65 and over, 4.6 percent. Only the state’s households headed by 25 to 34 year olds declined (-3.8 percent); the U.S. saw declines in households for heads aged 15 to 24, 25 to 34, and 55 to 64.

With 13.7 percent of 1995 households headed by a 55 to 64 year old and 22.6 percent by a householder 65 and over, Alabama households are more elderly than average — 36.3 percent of households are in these two categories, compared to 34.2 percent of U.S. households. Shares of Alabama households by age of householder include ages 15-24, 5.9 percent; 25-34, 18.2 percent; 35-44, 21.6 percent; and 45-54, 17.9 percent.

Persons per household in Alabama were estimated at 2.60 in 1995, compared to 2.64 for the nation. Alabama reported an average of 2.62 persons per household in 1990.

Users may access the Census Bureau tables of 1990 and 1995 housing units and households to obtain information for all states.

Alabama Households by Age of Householder July1, 1995

                    Age             Number   Percent of Total

                    15-24           94,000           5.9
                    25-34          292,000          18.2
                    35-44          347,000          21.6
                    45-54          287,000          17.9
                    55-64          220,000          13.7
                    65+            363,000          22.6

                    Total        1,602,000         100.0

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Alabama Population Gains Steady Through 2025

  • August 6th, 2019

Alabama Population Gains Steady Through 2025


Alabama will see the 17th largest net gain in population over the next three decades, enabling it to hold its place as the country’s 22nd most populous state. The state will continue to be home to 1.6 percent of the nation’s residents, according to new population projections for states from the U.S. Bureau of the Census. And while the average Alabamian will be older, the race and sex composition of the population will keep looking – statistically speaking – just about the same.

From an estimated 4,253,000 Alabama residents in 1995, a projected gain of 198,000 will bring the state’s population to 4,451,000 in the year 2000. This 4.7 percent increase is just below the 5.1 percent gain estimated for the first half of the 1990s. Another 773,000 new residents are expected between 2000 and 2025, for a gain of 971,000 during the three decades from 1995 to 2025. The Census Bureau projects that Alabama’s population will total 5,224,000 in 2025.

Two-thirds of the projected population increase will be due to net migration, which is a positive reflection on Alabama’s attractiveness as a place to live and work. In particular, about 577,000 more people are expected to move into the state from other states than move out between 1995 and 2025, ranking Alabama 9th in net internal migrants. The state will continue to see slower gains from international migrants, with an expected 71,000 ranking just 34th. Natural increase will account for another 196,000 residents.

One statistic that will change is the age composition of Alabama’s population. The population aged 18 and over is expected to increase from 3.2 million or 74.6 percent in 1995 to 3.3 million or 75.2 percent in 2000. By 2025, the voting age population should reach 4.1 million or 78.2 percent of the total.

The number of youth (under age 20) in the state will grow by just 67,000, or 5.6 percent, during the three decades. This lack of growth will have important planning implications for educators and employers. From 28.3 percent of Alabama’s population in 1995, the percentage under 20 will drop to 24.4 percent in 2025.

As the first of the Baby Boom generation reaches retirement in 2011, the growth of the population aged 65 and older will accelerate. Alabama is expected to see 20.5 percent of its population falling into the 65+ group in 2025, up from 13 percent in 1995. That should give the state the 20th highest proportion of elderly in 2025. Marketers and activities catering to this age group can be poised for the tremendous gains expected from 2011 to 2025.

Slow growth in the youth population and more rapid growth in the elderly will contribute to slowing growth of the labor force. The number of Alabamians aged 20 to 64 is expected to increase by 385,000 from 1995 to 2025, a 14.7 percent gain. The dependency ratio – the number of youth and elderly for every 100 persons of working age will rise from 70.4 dependents per 100 workers in 1995 to 81.3 in 2025.

During these three decades, the segment of the population that is very old will grow slowly but steadily. From 58,000 Alabamians 85 and over in 1995, it will reach 104,000 in 2025. Providers of care for the very old should be prepared for a surge in demand after 2030 as baby boomers enter this age group.

Alabama’s population will continue to be about 52 percent female throughout the projection period. And the ethnic composition of the population will change only slightly. The percentage of the population that is non-Hispanic white is expected to decline from 72.8 in 1995 to 71.3 percent in 2025. At the same time, the African American category will increase from 25.5 percent of the total population in 1995 to 26 percent in 2025. The Hispanic population is projected to grow from 0.7 to 1.2 percent. A little less than 2 percent of the state’s population will be Asian or American Indian in 2025.

Between 1995 and 2025, the number of non-Hispanic white Alabama residents should increase by 630,000, compared to a gain of 275,000 for African Americans. There are expected to be 7,000 more American Indians, 28,000 more Asians, and 32,000 more persons of Hispanic origin in 2025.

Finally, the number and proportion of Alabama’s voting age population that is non-Hispanic white is projected at 2.5 million, or 74.8 percent in the year 2000. At the same time, the African American voting age population should total 782,000, or 23.4 percent.

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