A survey released today by Alabama Arise and the Institute for Policy Studies shows that residents in the greater Birmingham metro area feel left behind in the current economy.
‘Alabama’s economy is growing, but ordinary people aren’t seeing the same changes to their bottom line,” said Marc Bayard, associate fellow of the Institute for Policy Studies and co-author of the report. “We see the real-life effects of economic and racial inequality, and we also see the profound need for change in how the government responds to the most urgent needs and concerns of Alabama residents.”
The study included a survey of 1,024 residents this year in the greater Birmingham metro area.
“Too many people are being left behind in Birmingham’s economy these days,” said Allan M. Freyer, visiting fellow with Alabama Arise and lead author of the report. “The region needs broadly shared prosperity that creates good jobs that provide a living wage and upward mobility.”
That would include better transit, access to healthy foods, affordable housing, accountability for development projects, and more local authority, all keys to a more prosperous, thriving region, the report said.
- Two-thirds of survey respondents identified transportation—especially the lack of public transit—as the top challenge facing Greater Birmingham, one of the country’s most auto-dependent metro areas.
- More than 55% of residents cited the lack of access to healthy food in certain neighborhoods as a significant problem facing Greater Birmingham residents.
- Almost 80% of respondents identified rising housing costs as a problem. Another 73% said the same about the overall lack of affordable housing.
- More than 73% of survey respondents rated lack of good jobs as at least somewhat of a problem, including 82% of Black respondents and 62% of white respondents.
- Nearly 60% of survey respondents stated that gaining access to job training programs is a challenge, and those fortunate enough to complete these programs might not find available jobs calling for their new skills.
- More than 60% saw child care as a significant challenge for the Greater Birmingham economy.
- More than three-quarters of residents want their local government to make sure companies create the jobs they promise in exchange for public subsidies or tax incentives—and require those jobs to pay living wages.
- Nearly three quarters of respondents oppose preemption - through which state governments can limit the authority of local governments - and support home rule, with autonomy for local authorities. Large majorities of Black and white residents alike want local governments to be able to set their own minimum wage.
“Hope for a brighter future is a value shared by people of every race and in every part of the Greater Birmingham area,” said Robyn Hyden, executive director of Alabama Arise. “For prosperity to be shared more broadly, residents are telling us we need to invest in recruiting high-quality, better-paying jobs. We can support workers in getting to those jobs with better public transportation and stronger investments in child care and affordable housing.”
See the full study here.