Economy
What a New Governor Means for Alabama Business
Birmingham Business Journal editor Ty West discusses what new Governor Kay Ivey might mean for Alabama's business community.
When Single Mothers Make Too Much for Government Help But Too Little to Pay the Bills
For a single mom with two children in Jefferson County, covering life’s most basic expenses — rent, food, some health insurance — costs about $49,000 a year. A new report […]
Birmingham’s Construction Boom: How Long Can it Last?
Birmingham Business Journal editor Ty West evaluates Birmingham's construction boom over the last few years.
Alabama’s Auto Suppliers: A Dangerous Place for Workers
Bloomberg Business Week investigative Reporter Peter Waldman describes the dangerous conditions faced by workers for Alabama's auto parts suppliers.
Birmingham’s Airport Lands in the Middle of the Pack in New Rankings
Birmingham's airport is in the middle in a new ranking of American airports.
Why the Design-build Concept Could Boost Birmingham’s Construction Industry
Some new thinking on how architecture and construction firms are organized could make Birmingham an even bigger hub for the construction industry.
Attorney Advertising is Big Business in Alabama
It seems you can’t turn a corner in Alabama without seeing a billboard advertising for a personal injury lawyer. The practice has proven to be a lucrative business builder, but it also carries a professional stigma.
Who Benefits in Repealing Sales Tax on Groceries?
Proponents says exempting groceries from state sales tax would help low-income families and spur the economy. Those predictions could be optimistic.
Momentum Helps Women Overcome Tough Work Issues
It’s Women’s History Month, and we thought we’d bring you some voices of Alabama women who are shaking things up. Momentum is a women’s leadership program in Birmingham. WBHM’s Gigi […]
Regions Part of an Industry Rethink of the Bank Branch
Online banking haven't made the bank branch obsolete, but banks are rethinking how they use their brick-and-mortar locations.
Business Groups Oppose Alabama’s Bathroom Bill
Alabama business groups are concerned if a so-called bathroom bill passes in Alabama, the state could suffer the same economic hit as North Carolina. That state suffered boycotts and major sporting events left after a similar bill was enacted there.
Changes To How Banks Pay Taxes In Alabama
Birmingham Business Journal reporter Michael Seale discusses two bills in the Alabama legislature that would change how banks pay state taxes.
Alabama Industry Hopes For Looser Environmental Rules Under Trump
Birmingham Business Journal reporter Michael Seale discusses what Alabama industries anticipate if President Donald Trump rolls back federal environmental rules.
How the Transgender Bathroom Bill Could Affect Business
One item soon to make its way through the Alabama Legislature is the bathroom bill. It’s officially known as the Alabama Privacy Act, and it’s believed to target transgender people. […]
Birmingham’s New Downtown Publix Attracts Residents Beyond the City Center
Publix opens its long-awaited downtown Birmingham store. It's a retailer that could have an impact beyond the city center.
Business Leaders Optimistic Lawmakers Will Reauthorize Historic Tax Credit
Birmingham Business Journal managing editor Stephanie Rebman discusses Alabama's lapsed historic tax credit and a new economic development plan for the state.
What Constitutes Downtown Birmingham?
Amidst all the talk about downtown Birmingham’s resurgence, there’s kind of a semantic assumption -- that we all mean the same thing when we say "downtown." Labels might not seem to matter much, but to marketers and real estate folks it does have an effect.
President Trump and Alabama’s Economy
We talk about what may happen for Alabama's economy under the Trump Administration in this week's Magic City Marketplace.
How Birmingham Stacks Up to Other Southern Metros
We explain how Birmingham compares to other southern metros in this week's Magic City Marketplace.
Trump’s Infrastructure Plan Might Not Benefit Alabama Much
In this week's Magic City Marketplace we hear why President-elect Donald Trump's infrastructure plan might not benefit Alabama that much.
What will 2017 Bring for Birmingham’s Economy?
The new year is just two days old but businesses are eager to see what 2017 brings. We talk about what is expected in the Birmingham area economy this year in Magic City Marketplace.
The Year Ahead for Transit in Birmingham
In this week's Magic City Marketplace, what to expect from Birmingham transit in 2017 and the effect of an interest rate hike on Birmingham banks.
What Trump Could Mean for the Steel and Coal Industries
We look at what a President Trump could mean for the struggling steel and coal industries.
Birmingham Expects a Boost from National Civil Rights Designation
What a national historic monument designation for Birmingham's Civil Rights District could mean for tourism
TopGolf Complex Coming Soon to Uptown
The Birmingham City Council this week cleared the way for construction of a proposed 65,000 square-foot Topgolf complex in Uptown. The council also approved a $1.5 million incentive package to be spread out over the next eight years.
Alabama Cattle Ranchers Hit Hard by Drought
After months of warm, dry weather, it did finally rain this week. But a few days of precipitation won’t erase months of drought. The lack of rainfall has crippled the state’s $2 billion cattle industry. The drought has forced ranchers to buy hay from out-of-state and if the dry weather persists this winter, things could get a lot worse for farmers and their herds.
How Birmingham is Doing Attracting Millennials
As Birmingham works to keep its post-recession economic rebound going, a part of that is Millennials. As these people born roughly between 1980 and 2000 enter the job market or advance in their careers, they’ll rent apartments, buy homes, spend money that will fuel future growth. So business leaders are keen to attract and keep Millennials in Birmingham. That’s where we start in this week’s Magic City Marketplace.
What a President Trump Means for Business
President-elect Donald Trump won the election on a promise to make America the best place in the world to do business. But apart from backing away from trade deals, the specifics of what a Trump Administration would do for the business community are still unclear. We get a sense of what might be coming in this week’s Magic City Marketplace.
A Birmingham/NASA Connection and Amendment 11
Alabama has a long history with space exploration thanks to the Marshal Space Flight Center and other NASA facilities in Huntsville. But Birmingham is taking a small step toward that space industry through a project at UAB. We hear about it along with Amendment 11, a ballot proposal economic development leaders want to see passed, in this week’s Magic City Marketplace
A Conversation with “Mr. Fred,” 86-Year-Old Learning to Read
Fred Oliver of Birmingham is 86 and a world traveler. He served in the Korean War, spent time in Japan, and has held more jobs than he can count. He loves to visit far-off places, but as we reported yesterday, his latest odyssey is close to home, at the Literacy Council of Central Alabama: he’s learning to read and write.
Fighting Adult Illiteracy, One Reader at a Time
Imagine not being able to read an email from your family. Or a job application. Or medication labels. How about a simple road sign? Adult illiteracy is a complex, stubborn problem. Based on conservative estimates, in the five-county area around Birmingham alone, there are more than 90,000 adults who have trouble reading and writing. There are almost as many reasons as there are people.
U.S. 280 Becoming a Second City Center
There’s been plenty of attention showered on downtown Birmingham for its building boom and growth in restaurants and attractions. But there’s another area that’s been expanding too into almost another economic hub. That’s the U.S. 280 corridor from Jefferson to Shelby counties. We talk about that in this week’s Magic City Marketplace.
