“We are proud to be part of the Fort Payne, DeKalb County community. We have an excellent base of highly skilled, hard working employees and a plentiful labor pool to fill our needs as we grow.”


S. SPENCER CHEAK
Sr. Vice President/General Manager
Fort Payne Operations
PlayCore

  CONTACT US  1-888-421-7957 •  P.O. Box 680941 • Fort Payne, Alabama 35968-0941 


Workforce Statistics

Current Unemployment Rates

Alabama DeKalb County
Civilian Labor Force 2,141,923 28,232
Employment 1,984,545 25,721
Unemployment 157,378 2,511
Unemployment Rate 7.3% 8.9%
Source: Alabama Department of Industrial Relations. These statistics are updated monthly. Last updated May 2012.

2011 Average Unemployment Rates

Alabama DeKalb County
Civilian Labor Force 2,190,427 28,825
Employment 1,993,869 25,526
Unemployment 196,558 3,299
Unemployment Rate 9.0% 11.4%
Source: Alabama Department of Industrial Relations (Seasonally Adjusted) 

2010 Average Unemployment Rates

Alabama DeKalb County
Civilian Labor Force 2,126,783 29,270
Employment 1,924,815 25,880
Unemployment 201,968 3,390
Unemployment Rate 9.5% 11.6%
Source: Alabama Department of Industrial Relations (Seasonally Adjusted)

Underemployment Rates

DeKalb County NE Region
Underemployed Workers 4,795 84,174
Underemployment Rate 17.90% 22.50%

*The NE Region includes Cullman, DeKalb, Jackson, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marshall, and Morgan Counties in Alabama.
Note: Rounding errors may be present. Based on May 2009 labor force data and 2009 underemployment rates.

Reported in the 2009 State of the Workforce Report IV - Region 2 (PDF).

Source: Center for Business and Economic Research, The University of Alabama and Alabama Department of Industrial Relations.

Labor Force in Surrounding Counties

County Civilian Labor Force Unemployment Unemployment Rate
Jackson 25,959 1,850 7.1%
Cherokee 11,362 822 7.2%
Marshall 40,271 2,844 7.1%
Etowah 45,101 3,198 7.1%
Dade (GA) 8,199 531 6.5%
Walker (GA) 33,229 2,295 6.9%
Chattooga (GA) 10,394 1,039 10.0%
Source: Alabama Department of Industrial Relations; Georgia Department of Labor. These statistics are updated Monthly. Last updated: May 2012.

Union Representation

DeKalb County has a very low union participation. Less than .3% of the county’s workforce are union members (United Steel Workers).

Commuting Patterns
DeKalb County Residents Working Outside the County

DeKalb County Residents Working in Alabama: 26,448
Top 5 Counties Receiving Workers:
Marshall County: 2,730
Jackson County: 1,203
Hamilton County, TN: 1,114
Etowah County: 409
Dade County, GA: 364

*Percentage based on total number of county residents working in Alabama, including DeKalb County.
Outside Residents Working in DeKalb County

Outside Residents Working in County: 4,628
Top 5 Counties Sending Workers:
Jackson County: 1,695
Cherokee County: 1.067
Etowah County: 678
Marshall County: 473
Hamilton County, TN: 110

Source: Alabama Department of Industrial Relations, 2000 U.S. Census