NFIB State Director Rosemary Elebash
“NFIB wants to thank Governor Ivey for making this difficult decision. When the pandemic began, businesses had to reduce hours, limit services or close altogether, and hundreds of thousands of Alabamians lost their jobs. Congress stepped up and voted to supplement their unemployment checks with federal dollars so families could get through the crisis without losing everything.
“Since then, Alabama‘s economy has turned around, businesses are hiring, but people aren’t applying. Owners have increased their wages, but a record 44% of U.S. small business owners surveyed last month by NFIB reported they still have positions they can’t fill. The worker shortage is affecting the supply chain and customer service and hampering Alabama‘s economic recovery.
“Our members hope that by ending these federal subsidies, people will be encouraged to return to the workforce, and businesses will have workers to meet the demand created as Governor Ivey has eased COVID-19 restrictions.”