Editing Alabama (section)

== Economy ==
{{See also|Economy of Alabama|Alabama locations by per capita income}}

The state has invested in aerospace, education, health care, banking, and various heavy industries, including automobile manufacturing, mineral extraction, steel production and [[Metal fabrication|fabrication]]. By 2006, crop and animal production in Alabama was valued at $1.5{{spaces}}billion. In contrast to the primarily agricultural economy of the previous century, this was only about one percent of the state's gross domestic product. The number of private farms has declined at a steady rate since the 1960s, as land has been sold to developers, timber companies, and large farming conglomerates.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-2330 |title=Food Production in Alabama |last1=Ijaz |first1=Ahmad |last2=Addy |first2=Samuel N. |date=July 6, 2009 |website=The Encyclopedia of Alabama |publisher=Auburn University |access-date=September 22, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117053325/http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-2330 |archive-date=January 17, 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:RTJattheshoals.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail]] has a large economic impact on the state.]]
Non-agricultural employment in 2008 was 121,800 in management occupations; 71,750 in business and financial operations; 36,790 in computer-related and mathematical occupation; 44,200 in architecture and engineering; 12,410 in life, physical, and social sciences; 32,260 in community and social services; 12,770 in legal occupations; 116,250 in education, training, and library services; 27,840 in art, design and media occupations; 121,110 in healthcare; 44,750 in fire fighting, law enforcement, and security; 154,040 in food preparation and serving; 76,650 in building and grounds cleaning and maintenance; 53,230 in personal care and services; 244,510 in sales; 338,760 in office and administration support; 20,510 in farming, fishing, and forestry; 120,155 in construction and mining, gas, and oil extraction; 106,280 in installation, maintenance, and repair; 224,110 in production; and 167,160 in transportation and material moving.<ref name="alaindustrial"/>

[[File:Center Court of the Riverchase Galleria.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Riverchase Galleria]] in Hoover, one of the largest shopping centers in the southeast]]
According to the U.S. [[Bureau of Economic Analysis]], the 2008 total [[Gross regional domestic product|gross state product]] was $170{{spaces}}billion, or $29,411 per capita. Alabama's 2012 GDP increased 1.2% from the previous year. The single largest increase came in the area of information.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/regional/gdp_state/gsp_newsrelease.htm |title=GDP by State (2008) |date=June 2, 2009 |website=Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Accounts |access-date=October 9, 2009 |archive-date=August 26, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090826143618/https://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/regional/gdp_state/gsp_newsrelease.htm |url-status=live}} [https://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/regional/gdp_state/2009/pdf/gsp0609.pdf full release with tables] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630210541/https://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/regional/gdp_state/2009/pdf/gsp0609.pdf |date=June 30, 2017}}</ref> In 2010, per capita income for the state was $22,984.<ref name=":6">{{cite web |title=United States Census Bureau |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/AL |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120226182304/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/01000.html |archive-date=February 26, 2012 |access-date=February 25, 2012 |website=State and County Quick Facts}}</ref>

The state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.8% in April 2015.<ref>{{cite web |title=Local Area Unemployment Statistics—Alabama |website=Bureau of Labor Statistics |url=http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/surveymost?la+01 |access-date=June 15, 2013 |archive-date=February 9, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140209183335/http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/surveymost?la+01 |url-status=live}}</ref> This compared to a nationwide seasonally adjusted rate of 5.4%.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bureau of Labor Statistics Data |url=http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/surveymost?bls |publisher=United States Department of Labor |access-date=July 6, 2015 |archive-date=October 24, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131024023419/http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/surveymost?bls |url-status=live}}</ref>

Alabama has no minimum wage and in February 2016 passed legislation preventing municipalities from setting one. (A Birmingham city ordinance would have raised theirs to $10.10.)<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/feb/26/alabama-passes-law-banning-minimum-wage-increase |title=Alabama passes law banning cities and towns from increasing minimum wage |first=Jana |last=Kasperkevic |date=February 26, 2016 |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=December 13, 2016 |archive-date=February 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211161330/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/feb/26/alabama-passes-law-banning-minimum-wage-increase |url-status=live}}</ref>

{{as of|2018}}, Alabama has the sixth highest poverty rate among states in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://alabamapossible.org/ap_povertyfactsheet_2018_web/ |title=AP_PovertyFactSheet_2018_Web |first=Kristina |last=Scott |access-date=September 4, 2018 |archive-date=September 4, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180904192109/http://alabamapossible.org/ap_povertyfactsheet_2018_web/ |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2017, United Nations Special Rapporteur [[Philip Alston]] toured parts of rural Alabama and observed environmental conditions that he said were poorer than anywhere he had seen in the developed world.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ballesteros |first=Carlos |title=Alabama Has the Worst Poverty in the Developed World, U.N. Official Says |url=https://www.newsweek.com/alabama-un-poverty-environmental-racism-743601 |newspaper=Newsweek |date=December 10, 2017 |access-date=September 4, 2018 |archive-date=September 8, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180908163319/https://www.newsweek.com/alabama-un-poverty-environmental-racism-743601 |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Largest employers ===
[[File:Enterprise lifted.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Space Shuttle Enterprise|Space Shuttle ''Enterprise'']] being tested at Marshall Space Flight Center in 1978]]
[[File:Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama Highsmith 01.jpg|thumb|Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama in Montgomery in 2010]]
[[File:Shelbyhallcomputing.JPG|thumb|Shelby Hall, School of Computing, at the [[University of South Alabama]] in Mobile]]

The five employers that employed the most employees in Alabama in April 2011 were:<ref name="bbjournal">Aneesa Macmillan. "[http://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/blog/2011/04/top-of-the-list-alabamas-largest.html Top of the List: Alabama's largest employers] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110426110530/http://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/blog/2011/04/top-of-the-list-alabamas-largest.html |date=April 26, 2011}}" (April 22, 2011). ''Birmingham Business Journal''.</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Employer
! Employees
|-
| [[Redstone Arsenal]]
| 25,373
|-
| [[University of Alabama at Birmingham]] (includes [[UAB Hospital]])
| 18,750
|-
| [[Maxwell Air Force Base]]
| 12,280
|-
| [[Government of Alabama|State of Alabama]]
| 9,500
|-
| [[Mobile County Public School System]]
| 8,100
|}

The next twenty largest employers, {{as of|2011|lc=y}}, included:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.americanregistry.com/recognition/alabamas-largest-employers/116523 |title=Alabama's Largest Employers |date=April 2011 |website=Birmingham Business Journal |publisher=American Registry |access-date=September 19, 2012 |archive-date=January 17, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117053326/http://www.americanregistry.com/recognition/alabamas-largest-employers/116523 |url-status=live}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Employer
! Location
|-
| [[Anniston Army Depot]]
| [[Anniston, Alabama|Anniston]]
|-
| [[AT&T Inc.|AT&T]]
| Multiple
|-
| [[Auburn University]]
| [[Auburn, Alabama|Auburn]]
|-
| Baptist Medical Center South
| [[Montgomery, Alabama|Montgomery]]
|-
| [[Birmingham City Schools]]
| [[Birmingham, Alabama|Birmingham]]
|-
| [[Birmingham, Alabama|City of Birmingham]]
| Birmingham
|-
| DCH Health System
| [[Tuscaloosa, Alabama|Tuscaloosa]]
|-
| [[Huntsville City Schools]]
| [[Huntsville, Alabama|Huntsville]]
|-
| [[Huntsville Hospital System]]
| Huntsville
|-
| [[Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama]]
| Montgomery
|-
| Infirmary Health System
| [[Mobile, Alabama|Mobile]]
|-
| [[Jefferson County Schools (Alabama)|Jefferson County Board of Education]]
| Birmingham
|-
| [[Marshall Space Flight Center]]
| Huntsville
|-
| [[Mercedes-Benz U.S. International]]
| [[Vance, Alabama|Vance]]
|-
| [[Montgomery Public Schools]]
| Montgomery
|-
| [[Regions Financial Corporation]]
| Multiple
|-
| [[Boeing]]
| Multiple
|-
| [[University of Alabama]]
| Tuscaloosa
|-
| [[University of South Alabama]]
| Mobile
|-
| [[Walmart]]
| Multiple
|}

=== Agriculture ===
Alabama's agricultural outputs include poultry and [[Egg as food|eggs]], cattle, fish, plant nursery items, peanuts, cotton, grains such as [[Corn production in the United States|corn]] and [[sorghum]], vegetables, milk, [[soybean]]s, and peaches. Although known as "[[List of U.S. state and territory nicknames|The Cotton State]]", Alabama ranks between eighth and tenth in [[Cotton production in the United States|national cotton production]], according to various reports, with [[Texas]], Georgia and Mississippi comprising the top three.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cber.cba.ua.edu/pdf/ab2005q4.pdf |title=Alabama and CBER: 75 Years of Change |access-date=September 23, 2006 |year=2005 |website=Alabama Business |publisher=Center for Business and Economic Research, Culverhouse College of Commerce, The University of Alabama |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060927141609/http://cber.cba.ua.edu/pdf/ab2005q4.pdf |archive-date=September 27, 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aces.edu/dept/nass/bulletin/2005/pg05.pdf |title=State Highlights for 2004–2005 |access-date=September 23, 2006 |year=2005 |website=Alabama Cooperative Extension System |publisher=USDA, NASS, Alabama Statistical Office |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060921005808/http://www.aces.edu/dept/nass/bulletin/2005/pg05.pdf |archive-date=September 21, 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Aquaculture ===
[[Aquaculture]] is a large part of the economy of Alabama.<ref name=":1">Hanson, TE. 2015. Economics of Aquaculture Production in Alabama. United States Department of Agriculture. Project No. ALA016-1-10022. Available from: https://reeis.usda.gov/web/crisprojectpages/0222158-economics-of-aquaculture-production-in-alabama.html {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924191911/https://reeis.usda.gov/web/crisprojectpages/0222158-economics-of-aquaculture-production-in-alabama.html |date=September 24, 2021}}</ref> Alabamians began to practice aquaculture in the early 1960s.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last1=Pine |first1=H.J. |last2=Boyd |first2=C.E. |date=2011 |title=Stream Salinization by Inland Brackish-Water Aquaculture |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/15222055.2011.545580 |journal=North American Journal of Aquaculture |volume=73 |issue=2 |pages=107–113|doi=10.1080/15222055.2011.545580 |bibcode=2011NAJA...73..107P}}</ref> U.S. [[farm-raised catfish]] is the 8th most popular seafood product in America.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last1=Hanson |first1=Terry |last2=Roy |first2=Luke |last3=Kelly |first3=Anita |date=2021 |title=2020 Alabama Farm-Raised Catfish Industry Highlights |url=https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/aquaculture/alabama-farm-raised-catfish-industry-highlights/?cn-reloaded=1 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924191858/https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/aquaculture/alabama-farm-raised-catfish-industry-highlights/?cn-reloaded=1 |archive-date=September 24, 2021}}</ref> By 2008, approximately 4,000 people in Alabama were employed by the catfish industry and Alabama produced 132 million pounds of catfish.<ref name=":1" /> In 2020, Alabama produced {{frac|1|3}} of the United States' farm-raised catfish.<ref name=":3" /> The total 2020 sales of catfish raised in Alabama equaled $307&nbsp;million but by 2020 the total employment of Alabamians fell to 2,442.<ref name=":3" />

From the early 2000s to 2020, the Alabamian catfish industry has declined from 250 farms and 4 processors to 66 farms and 2 processors.<ref name=":3" /> Reasons for this decline include increased feed prices, catfish alternatives, [[COVID-19]]'s impact on restaurant sales, disease, and fish size.<ref name=":3" />

=== Industry ===
Alabama's industrial outputs include iron and steel products (including cast-iron and steel pipe); paper, [[lumber]], and wood products; mining (mostly coal); plastic products; cars and trucks; and [[Clothing|apparel]]. In addition, Alabama produces [[aerospace]] and [[electronics|electronic]] products, mostly in the Huntsville area, the location of [[NASA]]'s George C. Marshall Space Flight Center and the [[United States Army Materiel Command|U.S. Army Materiel Command]], headquartered at [[Redstone Arsenal]].

[[File:Mercedes Benz US International 01.jpg|thumb|[[Mercedes-Benz U.S. International]] in Tuscaloosa County was the first automotive facility to locate within the state.]]
A great deal of Alabama's economic growth since the 1990s has been due to the state's expanding automotive manufacturing industry. Located in the state are [[Honda Manufacturing of Alabama]], [[Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama]], [[Mercedes-Benz U.S. International]], and [[Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama]], as well as their various suppliers. Since 1993, the automobile industry has generated more than 67,800 new jobs in the state. Alabama currently ranks 4th in the nation for vehicle exports.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www1.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/facts/2008_fotw539.html |title=Vehicle Technologies Program: Fact #539: October 6, 2008, Light Vehicle Production by State |publisher=.eere.energy.gov |date=October 6, 2008 |access-date=October 24, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006202740/http://www1.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/facts/2008_fotw539.html |archive-date=October 6, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Automakers accounted for approximately a third of the industrial expansion in the state in 2012.<ref>{{cite news |last=McCreless |first=Patrick |title=Automakers account for about a third of the state's industrial expansion |url=http://www.annistonstar.com/view/full_story/20677539/article-Automakers-account-for-about-a-third-of-the-state-s-industrial-expansion?instance=home_news#ixzz2DioLu4sx |newspaper=The Anniston Star |date=October 31, 2012 |access-date=June 15, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022035218/http://www.annistonstar.com/view/full_story/20677539/article-Automakers-account-for-about-a-third-of-the-state-s-industrial-expansion?instance=home_news#ixzz2DioLu4sx |archive-date=October 22, 2013}}</ref> The eight models produced at the state's auto factories totaled combined sales of 74,335 vehicles for 2012. The strongest model sales during this period were the [[Hyundai Elantra]] compact car, the [[Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class|Mercedes-Benz GL-Class]] sport utility vehicle and the [[Honda Ridgeline]] sport utility truck.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kent |first=Dawn |title=U.S. auto sales see gains in March, as Alabama-made models rise 4 percent |url=http://www.al.com/business/index.ssf/2013/04/us_auto_sales_see_gains_in_mar.html |access-date=June 15, 2013 |publisher=AL.com |date=April 2, 2013 |archive-date=May 18, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130518041759/http://www.al.com/business/index.ssf/2013/04/us_auto_sales_see_gains_in_mar.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Airbus Mobile Engineering Center.jpg|thumb|left|Airbus Mobile Engineering Center at the Brookley Aeroplex in Mobile]]
Steel producers [[Outokumpu]], [[Nucor]], [[SSAB]], [[ThyssenKrupp]], and [[U.S. Steel]] have facilities in Alabama and employ more than 10,000 people. In May 2007, German steelmaker ThyssenKrupp selected [[Calvert, Alabama|Calvert]] in Mobile County for a 4.65{{spaces}}billion combined [[stainless steel|stainless]] and [[carbon steel]] processing facility.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://blog.al.com/live/2007/05/mobile_county_wins_thyssenkrup.html |title=ThyssenKrupp's Alabama incentive package tops $811 million |newspaper=Press-Register |date=May 11, 2007 |access-date=July 22, 2011 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110726144848/http://blog.al.com/live/2007/05/mobile_county_wins_thyssenkrup.html |archive-date=July 26, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> ThyssenKrupp's stainless steel division, Inoxum, including the stainless portion of the Calvert plant, was sold to Finnish stainless steel company Outokumpu in 2012.<ref>{{cite news |title=New owners of ThyssenKrupp stainless steel division plan visit in June |work=Press-Register |date=May 31, 2012 |url=http://blog.al.com/press-register-business/2012/05/new_owners_of_thyssenkrupp_sta.html |access-date=June 15, 2013 |archive-date=October 22, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022053114/http://blog.al.com/press-register-business/2012/05/new_owners_of_thyssenkrupp_sta.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The remaining portion of the ThyssenKrupp plant had final bids submitted by [[ArcelorMittal]] and [[Nippon Steel]] for $1.6{{spaces}}billion in March 2013. [[Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional]] submitted a combined bid for the mill at Calvert, plus a majority stake in the ThyssenKrupp mill in Brazil, for $3.8{{spaces}}billion.<ref>{{cite news |title=Report: ThyssenKrupp gets final bids for Steel Americas plants |publisher=AL.com |date=March 1, 2013 |url=http://www.al.com/business/index.ssf/2013/03/report_thyssenkrupp_gets_final.html |access-date=June 15, 2013 |archive-date=May 7, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130507103651/http://www.al.com/business/index.ssf/2013/03/report_thyssenkrupp_gets_final.html |url-status=live}}</ref> In July 2013, the plant was sold to ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stahl-online.de/index.php/alabama-ende-2014-bei-voller-kapazitaet/ |title=Alabama: Ende 2014 bei voller Kapazität—stahl-online.de |website=stahl-online.de |access-date=July 21, 2015 |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924105627/http://www.stahl-online.de/index.php/alabama-ende-2014-bei-voller-kapazitaet/ |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The [[Hunt Refining Company]], a subsidiary of Hunt Consolidated, Inc., is based in Tuscaloosa and operates a refinery there. The company also operates terminals in Mobile, Melvin, and Moundville.<ref>"[http://www.linkedin.com/company/hunt-refining-company Hunt Refining Company] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120518071518/http://www.linkedin.com/company/hunt-refining-company |date=May 18, 2012}}". Linkedin.</ref> [[JVC|JVC America, Inc.]] operates an [[optical disc]] replication and packaging plant in Tuscaloosa.<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20130117053326/http://www.jvc-america.com/about/plant_locations.aspx Company Overview]". JVC America, Inc.</ref>

The [[Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company]] operates a large plant in Gadsden which employs about 1,400 people. It has been in operation since 1929.

Construction of an [[Airbus A320 family]] aircraft assembly plant in Mobile was formally announced by [[Airbus]] CEO [[Fabrice Brégier]] from the Mobile Convention Center on July 2, 2012. The plans include a $600{{spaces}}million factory at the [[Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley|Brookley Aeroplex]] for the assembly of the A319, A320 and A321 aircraft. Construction began in 2013, with plans for it to become operable by 2015 and produce up to 50 aircraft per year by 2017.b<ref name="apconfirm">{{cite news |title=Airbus to Build 1st US Assembly Plant in Alabama |agency=Associated Press |author=Melissa Nelson-Gabriel |date=July 2, 2012 |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/officials-ala-airbus-plant-employ-1000-16690789 |access-date=July 2, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120703090843/https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/officials-ala-airbus-plant-employ-1000-16690789 |archive-date=July 3, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="bbcconfirm">{{cite news |title=Airbus confirms its first US factory to build A320 jet |work=BBC News |date=July 2, 2012 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18675711 |access-date=July 2, 2012 |archive-date=July 2, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120702182124/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18675711 |url-status=live}}</ref> The assembly plant is the company's first factory to be built within the United States.<ref>{{cite news|title=EADS to Build United States Assembly Line for Airbus A320|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/03/business/global/eads-to-build-airbus-assembly-line-in-mobile-ala.html|work=The New York Times|access-date=July 2, 2012|author=Nicola Clark|date=July 2, 2012 |archive-date=July 2, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120702213020/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/03/business/global/eads-to-build-airbus-assembly-line-in-mobile-ala.html|url-status=live}}</ref> It was announced on February 1, 2013, that Airbus had hired Alabama-based [[Hoar Construction]] to oversee construction of the facility.<ref name=airbusasby>{{cite web |title=Airbus Appoints Program Manager for its Mobile Assembly Line |url=http://www.airbus.com/newsevents/news-events-single/detail/airbus-appoints-program-manager-for-its-mobile-assembly-line/ |publisher=Airbus |access-date=February 7, 2013 |archive-date=February 6, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130206110927/http://www.airbus.com/newsevents/news-events-single/detail/airbus-appoints-program-manager-for-its-mobile-assembly-line/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> The factory officially opened on September 14, 2015, covering one million square feet on 53 acres of flat grassland.<ref>{{cite news|author1=Arielle Emmett|title=Airbus Lands In Alabama|url=http://www.airspacemag.com/flight-today/airbus-in-mobile-180959124/|access-date=March 18, 2017|publisher=Air & Space Smithsonian|date=June 2016|archive-date=March 19, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170319114411/http://www.airspacemag.com/flight-today/airbus-in-mobile-180959124/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Tourism and entertainment ===
[[File:Orange Beach, Alabama.jpg|thumb|Alabama's beaches are one of the state's major tourist destinations.]]

According to [[Business Insider]], Alabama ranked 14th in most popular states to visit in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/the-most-popular-us-states-for-tourism-2014-10|title=A Detailed Look At How Americans Travel Within The US|first=Jennifer|last=Polland|website=Business Insider|access-date=June 20, 2019|archive-date=June 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190620204823/https://www.businessinsider.com/the-most-popular-us-states-for-tourism-2014-10|url-status=live}}</ref> An estimated 26 million tourists visited the state in 2017 and spent $14.3&nbsp;billion, providing directly or indirectly 186,900 jobs in the state,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.al.com/news/2018/05/tourist_spending_in_alabama_hi.html|title=Tourist spending in Alabama hit all-time high in 2017|date=May 23, 2018|website=al|access-date=June 20, 2019|archive-date=June 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190620204823/https://www.al.com/news/2018/05/tourist_spending_in_alabama_hi.html|url-status=live}}</ref> which includes 362,000 International tourists spending $589&nbsp;million.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Nusbaum|first=Lydia|date=November 30, 2018|title=International travel agents descend on Alabama|url=https://www.wsfa.com/2018/11/30/international-travel-agents-descend-alabama/|access-date=March 18, 2021|website=WSFA 12 News|archive-date=June 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210615194200/https://www.wsfa.com/2018/11/30/international-travel-agents-descend-alabama/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The state is home to various attractions, natural features, parks and events that attract visitors from around the globe, notably the annual [[Hangout Music Festival]], held on the public beaches of [[Gulf Shores, Alabama|Gulf Shores]]; the [[Alabama Shakespeare Festival]], one of the ten largest [[Shakespeare festival]]s in the world;<ref name="encyclo">{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-1023 |title=Alabama Shakespeare Festival (ASF) |author=Jim Volz |date=February 21, 2007 |encyclopedia=The Encyclopedia of Alabama |publisher=Auburn University |access-date=April 3, 2012 |archive-date=March 8, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308041406/http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-1023 |url-status=live}}</ref> the [[Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail]], a collection of championship caliber golf courses distributed across the state; casinos such as [[Victoryland]]; amusement parks such as [[Alabama Splash Adventure]]; the [[Riverchase Galleria]], one of the largest shopping centers in the southeast; [[Guntersville Lake]], voted the best lake in Alabama by [[Southern Living]] Magazine readers;<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-2621|title=Guntersville Dam and Lake|website=Encyclopedia of Alabama|access-date=September 21, 2020|archive-date=January 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128212505/http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-2621|url-status=live}}</ref> and the [[Alabama Museum of Natural History]], the oldest museum in the state.<ref>{{cite web |title=Planning Your Alabama Visit |url=http://alabama.travel/visitor-tips/planning |website=alabama.travel.com |publisher=Sweet Home Alabama |access-date=September 16, 2016 |archive-date=September 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160924164535/http://alabama.travel/visitor-tips/planning |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Mardi&nbsp;Gras&nbsp;Mobile&nbsp;Order of Inca.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Mobile is the birthplace of Mardi Gras in the U.S.]]
Mobile is known for having the oldest organized [[Mardi Gras in Mobile, Alabama|Mardi Gras]] celebration in the United States, beginning in 1703.<ref name=MoMtime>{{cite web |url=http://www.museumofmobile.com/timeline.php |title=Carnival/Mobile Mardi Gras Timeline |work=Museum of Mobile |access-date=July 18, 2012 |archive-date=July 19, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130719184322/http://www.museumofmobile.com/timeline.php |url-status=live}}</ref> It was also host to the first formally organized Mardi Gras parade in the U.S. in 1830, a tradition that continues to this day.<ref name=MoMtime/> Mardi Gras is an official state holiday in Mobile and Baldwin counties.<ref>{{citation |work=Alabama Code |pages=1–3–8(c) |title=HOLIDAYS ENUMERATED; PERSONAL LEAVE DAYS; STATE HOLIDAYS OBSERVED BY CLOSING OF STATE OFFICES; COMPENSATORY LEAVE DAYS |url=http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/alcode/1/3/1-3-8#sthash.22vLhFOr.dpuf |access-date=December 2, 2014 |archive-date=July 14, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714230312/http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/alcode/1/3/1-3-8#sthash.22vLhFOr.dpuf |url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2018, Mobile's [[Mardi Gras in Mobile, Alabama|Mardi Gras parade]] was the state's top event, producing the most tourists with an attendance of 892,811. The top attraction was the [[U.S. Space & Rocket Center]] in Huntsville with an attendance of 849,981, followed by the [[Birmingham Zoo]] with 543,090. Of the parks and natural destinations, Alabama's Gulf Coast topped the list with 6,700,000 visitors.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tuscaloosanews.com/news/20190128/alabama-ranks-top-tourist-attractions|title=Alabama ranks top tourist attractions|first=Ken|last=Roberts|website=Tuscaloosa News|access-date=June 26, 2019|archive-date=June 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190626162158/https://www.tuscaloosanews.com/news/20190128/alabama-ranks-top-tourist-attractions|url-status=live}}</ref>

Alabama has historically been a popular region for film shoots due to its diverse landscapes and contrast of environments.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.locationshub.com/blog/2013/10/27/four-alabama-filmed-movies-to-watch-in-2013|title=Four Alabama-Filmed Movies to Watch In 2013|website=LocationsHub|date=March 19, 2013 |access-date=June 26, 2019|archive-date=June 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190626160701/https://www.locationshub.com/blog/2013/10/27/four-alabama-filmed-movies-to-watch-in-2013|url-status=live}}</ref> Movies filmed in Alabama include ''[[Close Encounters of the Third Kind]]'', ''[[Get Out]]'', ''[[42 (film)|42]]'', ''[[Selma (film)|Selma]]'', ''[[Big Fish]]'', ''[[The Final Destination]]'', ''[[Due Date]]'', and ''[[Need for Speed (film)|Need for Speed]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://birminghamwatch.org/growing-list-movies-made-alabama/|title=A Growing List of Movies Have Been Made in Alabama|first=Jackie Romine|last=Walburn|date=December 10, 2018|access-date=June 26, 2019|archive-date=June 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190626160701/https://birminghamwatch.org/growing-list-movies-made-alabama/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Healthcare ===
[[UAB Hospital]], [[University of South Alabama|USA Health University Hospital]], [[Huntsville Hospital System|Huntsville Hospital]], and Children's Hospital of Alabama are the only [[trauma center|Level{{spaces}}I trauma centers]] in Alabama.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Trauma Centers {{!}} Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH)|url=https://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/aths/trauma-center-levels.html|access-date=November 6, 2020|website=www.alabamapublichealth.gov|archive-date=March 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200321235111/http://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/aths/trauma-center-levels.html|url-status=live}}</ref> UAB is the largest state government employer in Alabama, with a workforce of about 18,000.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uab.edu/humanresources/home/ |title=UAB—Human Resources—Home |website=uab.edu |access-date=July 21, 2015 |archive-date=July 22, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722064704/http://www.uab.edu/humanresources/home/ |url-status=live}}</ref> A 2017 study found that Alabama had the least competitive health insurance market in the country, with [[Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama]] having a market share of 84% followed by [[UnitedHealth Group]] at 7%.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/patient-support-advocacy/competition-health-insurance-research |title=Competition in health insurance research |website=American Medical Association |access-date=June 15, 2019 |archive-date=June 18, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190618001323/https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/patient-support-advocacy/competition-health-insurance-research |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Banking ===
[[File:Birmingham skyscrapers Nov 2011.jpg|thumb|[[Regions-Harbert Plaza]], [[Regions Center (Birmingham)|Regions Center]], and [[Wells Fargo Tower (Birmingham)|Wells Fargo Tower]] in Birmingham's financial district]]

[[Regions Financial Corporation]] is the largest bank headquartered in or operating in Alabama. [[PNC Financial Services]] and [[Wells Fargo]] also have a major presence in Alabama.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www7.fdic.gov/sod/sodMarketRpt.asp?barItem=2 |title=Deposit Market Share Report |publisher=[[Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation]] |access-date=January 19, 2022 |archive-date=May 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210527065621/https://www7.fdic.gov/sod/sodMarketRpt.asp?barItem=2 |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Wells Fargo]] has a regional headquarters, an operations center campus, and a $400{{spaces}}million data center in Birmingham. Many smaller banks are also headquartered in the Birmingham area, including ServisFirst and New South Federal Savings Bank. Birmingham also serves as the headquarters for several large investment management companies, including [[Harbert Management Corporation]].

=== Electronics and communications ===
Telecommunications provider [[AT&T]], formerly [[BellSouth]], has a major presence in Alabama with several large offices in Birmingham.

Many technology companies are headquartered in Huntsville, such as [[ADTRAN]], a network access company; [[Intergraph]], a computer graphics company; and [[Avocent]], an IT infrastructure company.

=== Construction ===
[[Brasfield & Gorrie]], [[BE&K]], [[Hoar Construction]], and [[B.L. Harbert International]], based in Alabama and subsidiaries of [[URS Corporation]], are all routinely are included in the Engineering News-Record lists of top design, international construction, and engineering firms.
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