Editing Montgomery, Alabama (section)

==Economy==
Montgomery's central location in Alabama's [[Black Belt (region of Alabama)|Black Belt]] has long made it a processing hub for commodity crops such as cotton, peanuts, and [[soybean]]s. In 1840 [[Montgomery County, Alabama|Montgomery County]] led the state in cotton production,<ref name="1840 cotton">{{citation |url=http://www.extension.org/pages/History_of_Alabama_Cotton |author=Charles C. Mitchell |title=History of Alabama Cotton |access-date=January 10, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090222172544/http://www.extension.org/pages/History_of_Alabama_Cotton |archive-date=February 22, 2009 }}</ref> and by 1911, the city processed 160,000–200,000 bales of cotton annually.<ref name="Britannica 1911">{{cite EB1911|wstitle= Montgomery (Alabama) |volume= 18 | page= 784; see line eleven |quote= Situated in the "Cotton Belt" of Alabama, Montgomery handles 160,000-200,000 bales annually.}}</ref> Montgomery has also had large metal fabrication and lumber production sectors.<ref name="Britannica 1911"/>

Due to its location along the [[Alabama River]] and extensive rail connections, Montgomery has been and continues to be a regional distribution hub for a wide range of industries. Since the late 20th century, it has diversified its economy, achieving increased employment in sectors such as healthcare, business, government, and manufacturing. Today, the city's Gross Metropolitan Product is $12.15 billion, representing 8.7% of the gross state product of Alabama.<ref>{{citation |url=http://usmayors.org/metroeconomies/Top100_2006.pdf |title=The Role of Metro Areas in the U.S. economy |publisher=U.S. Conference of Mayors |date=March 1, 2006 |access-date=January 5, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091216130547/http://usmayors.org/metroeconomies/Top100_2006.pdf |archive-date=December 16, 2009 }}</ref>

According to [[Bureau of Labor Statistics]] data from October 2008, the largest sectors of non-agricultural employment were: Government, 24.3%; Trade, Transportation, and Utilities, 17.3% (including 11.0% in retail trade); Professional and Business Services, 11.9%; Manufacturing, 10.9%; Education and Health Services, 10.0% (including 8.5% in Health Care & Social Assistance); Leisure and Hospitality, 9.2%; Financial Activities, 6.0%, Natural Resources, Mining and Construction, 5.1%; Information, 1.4%; and Other services 4.0%. Unemployment for the same period was 5.7%, 2.5% higher than October 2007.<ref name="BLS October 2008">{{citation |url=http://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.al_montgomery_msa.htm |title=Montgomery, AL Economy at a Glance |publisher=[[Bureau of Labor Statistics]] |date=December 19, 2008 |access-date=January 5, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090105211348/http://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.al_montgomery_msa.htm |archive-date=January 5, 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> The city also draws in workers from the surrounding area; Montgomery's daytime population rises 17.4% to 239,101.

===Top employers===
According to the city's 2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.montgomeryal.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/16797/638155249385670000 |title=City of Montgomery 2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report |page=112 |date=March 4, 2024}}</ref><ref name="Employers">{{citation |url=https://www.montgomerychamber.com/mgm-employers |title=MGM Employers |publisher=Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce |access-date=March 4, 2024 |archive-date=March 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240305103256/https://www.montgomerychamber.com/mgm-employers |url-status=live }}</ref> the largest employers in the city are:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Number
! Company/Organizations
! Product/Service
! Employees
|-
| 1
| [[Maxwell Air Force Base|Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base]]
| Military Base
| 12,280
|-
| 2
| [[Government of Alabama|State of Alabama]]
| State Government
| 10,315
|-
| 3
| [[Montgomery Public Schools]]
| Public Schools
| 4,524
|-
| 4
| Baptist Health
| Hospitals/Clinics
| 4,300
|-
| 5
| [[Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama]]
| Automobile Manufacturing
| 3,530
|-
| 6
| ALFA Companies
| Insurance Companies
| 2,568
|-
| 7
| City of Montgomery
| Local Government
| 2,500
|-
| 8
| Business & Enterprise Systems
| Software Development
| 1,350
|-
| 9
| Jackson Hospital & Clinic, Inc.
| Hospitals/Clinics
| 1,300
|-
| 10
| Koch Foods
| Poultry Processing
| 1,250
|-
| 11
| MOBIS Alabama
| Automobile Manufacturing
| 1,010
|-
| 12
| Baptist Medical Center South
| Hospitals/Clinics
| 980
|-
| 13
| [[Rheem Manufacturing Company|Rheem Water Heaters]]
| Water Heater Manufacturing
| 920
|-
| 14
| [[United Parcel Service|UPS]]
| Distribution/Logistics
| 850
|-
| 15
| Glovis Alabama, LLC
| Warehousing and Logistics
| 832
|-
| 16
| Convergent Outsourcing, Inc.
| Customer Contact Center
| 736
|-
| 17
| Montgomery County Commission
| Local Government
| 700
|-
| 18
| [[Alabama Power|Alabama Power Company]]
| Utility
| 660
|-
| 19
| [[Auburn University at Montgomery]]
| University
| 576
|-
| 20
| Glovis America
| Logistics
| 545
|}

According to the Living Wage Calculator, the [[living wage]] for the city is US$19.73 per hour (or $41,038 per year) for an individual and $37.14 per hour ($77,251 per year) for a family of four.<ref name="MIT Living Wage">{{citation |url=https://livingwage.mit.edu/counties/01101 |title=Living Wage Calculation for Montgomery County, Alabama |publisher=[[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] |access-date=March 4, 2024 |archive-date=September 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230925234830/https://livingwage.mit.edu/counties/01101 |url-status=live }}</ref> These are slightly lower than the state averages of $20.15 per hour for an individual and $41.11 for a family of four.<ref name="Living Wage Alabama">{{citation |url=https://livingwage.mit.edu/states/01 |title=Living Wage Calculation for Alabama |publisher=[[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] |access-date=March 4, 2024 |archive-date=November 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231129042741/https://livingwage.mit.edu/states/01 |url-status=live }}</ref> US$7.25 per hour minimum wage in Alabama.<ref name="Minimum Wage">{{citation |url=https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state |title=Wage and Hour Division: State Minimum Wage Laws |publisher=[[United States Department of Labor]] |access-date=March 4, 2024 |archive-date=November 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191127215936/https://www.dol.gov/whd/minwage/america.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>