DeKalb County has a favorable unemployment rate, but a substantial number of citizens travel and work in nearby counties and states. Although the county is considered rural, it is the eleventh out of 67 counties in total employment and boasts an excellent productivity rate per worker. As is evident in the highly diverse companies located throughout the county, the local work force is highly trainable in various occupations ranging from bakery, hosiery and textiles to electronics, metal fabricating and plastics. DeKalb County enjoys a very favorable business climate, having only three unions representing approximately 3% of the total workforce. The three unions with a local presence are Bakery, Confectionery and Tobacco Workers; United Steelworkers and Electrical Workers. Attempts at organizing other unions have met failure. This pattern results from a strong work ethic derived from the early settlers of the county and has continued to be passed down from one generation to the next. As long as workers can expect decent wages and working conditions, they will put forth the effort to provide employers with good work habits and productivity. DeKalb County is located near several community colleges and universities. Many students prefer to commute to these institutions of higher learning rather than go to universities further away. The following institutions of higher education are located in close proximity to the municipalities in the county:

• Northeast Alabama Community College - Rainsville, AL

• Gadsden State Community College - Gadsden, AL 35 miles

• Jacksonville State University - Jacksonville, AL 50 miles

• University of Alabama at Huntsville - Huntsville, AL 75 miles

• Alabama A&M University - Huntsville, AL 75 miles

• Snead State Junior College - Boaz, AL 30 miles

• Covenant College - Lookout Mountain, GA 55 miles

• Berry College - Mount Berry, GA 45 miles

• Shorter College - Rome, GA 45 miles

• University of Tennessee at Chattanooga - Chattanooga, TN 55 miles

These institutions provide both day and evening courses, which provide suitable opportunities for students to seek part-time employment while at the same time continuing their college career goals.

The DeKalb County Vocational Technical School is located in Rainsville, and offers technical training programs to the county and city schools. Northeast Alabama Community College offers a two-year associate degree as well as technical courses. The college recently began work with local industries to develop specific technical training programs to support local industries in DeKalb County.

Presently, there are 33,350 persons employed in all occupations in DeKalb County. The July 2001 unemployment rate was 3.4% and there remains a large number of persons who have not sought employment because of the lack of challenging jobs. There are also 5,860 DeKalb County citizens who commute to another county to work and 1,320 that commute from DeKalb County to an out-of-state site.

The Electrical Workers Union represents the Fort Payne Improvement Authority and the Sand Mountain Electric Cooperative. Although this union has been in the county since the 1940s, it has seen no strikes, slowdowns or other adverse union activities.

Bakery, Confectionery and Tobacco Workers represents 800 workers at Sara Lee Bakery Group. A few years after the plant was constructed in 1971, management began a relationship with this union. The company had no labor strikes, slowdowns or other disruptive union activity, until the summer of 2000 when there was a 3-week nationwide strike.

Wheeling Corrugated, represented by the United Steelworkers, was organized because of a package deal with its 23 other plants. This union represents approximately 35 workers locally.

Unsuccessful union certification votes have been taken at USA Knit in 1988 (40-0 against the union) and Cagle's Poultry Plant in July,1996 (2-1 against) and December, 1997 (3-1 against).

Union officials attempted to persuade employees of Galbreath, Inc. to sign certification cards but could not get enough to sign in order to have a vote.