PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 20, 2024

Nurses, retail salesmen and drivers of heavy trucks and tractor-trailers are the top occupations in July

MONTGOMERY– Data collected and analyzed by the Alabama Department of Labor’s Labor Market Information (LMI) Division shows that 95,637 job postings were posted in Alabama in July 2024, a month-over-month increase of 8.5%.

The five occupations with the most online job advertisements are those of nurses, retail clerks, truck and semi-trailer drivers, retail supervisors, and fast food and counter staff: 16,008 advertisements were placed for these occupations in July.

The HWOL data is compiled from all online job postings in the state, including those posted in the state’s free online jobs database, AlabamaWorks.alabama.gov, and other sources such as traditional job boards, company boards and social media sites.

As of July 2024, there were a total of 35,456 job postings with salaries, including 9,809 job postings with salaries of $70,000 and more, 8,907 job postings with salaries in the range of $35,000 to $49,000, 7,029 job postings with salaries in the range of $50,000 to $69,000, and 9,711 job postings with salaries under $35,000.

The two employers with the most online ads in July were Huntsville Hospital with 1,010 ads and UAB Medicine with 829 ads. The rest of the top 10 were: Dollar General (715), The University of Alabama at Birmingham (637), Walmart (574), USA Health (465), Baptist Health (462), Auburn University (462), The University of Alabama (451) and Taco Bell (380).

This month’s HWOL career focus is on dental assistants. Those employed in this occupation perform limited clinical duties under the direction of a dentist. Clinical duties may include preparing and sterilizing equipment, preparing patients for treatment, assisting the dentist during treatment, and providing instructions to patients on oral hygiene procedures. They may also perform administrative duties such as scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, billing, and coding information for insurance purposes. Typically, employees in these occupations need a high school diploma or GED and usually two years of work experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training. They may also need a certified apprenticeship program or education related to the occupation. The average advertised salary for dental assistants in Alabama is $36,480. There are a total of 420 job openings for this occupation in Alabama annually.

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Media seeking further information should contact Communications Director Tara Hutchison.

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