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According to a new survey commissioned by AlabamaWorks, the three top barriers for Alabamians seeking to enter the workforce are transportation, childcare, and concerns over losing government benefits.

The survey gathered responses from 401 unemployed or underemployed Alabama residents. Over half of those surveyed said they lost a job or job opportunity due to lack of transportation. 45 percent of people said they did have access to some form of public transportation while 47 percent said they did not have any access.

220 people surveyed were parents to a minor(s). Almost half of the parents rely on friends and family for childcare. Parents said the lack of adequate childcare has caused 64 percent of them to work fewer hours.

A quarter of those surveyed said they have delayed or chosen to not attend school or training due to transportation and childcare issues.

AlabamaWorks is working to address these concerns by pursuing a human capital development strategy to couple workforce training with continuum of services to help Alabamians who are struggling with these barriers.

The state, in partnership with the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, has created DAVID, the Dashboard for Alabamians to Visualize Income Determinations. DAVID is a tool to help people navigate the loss of government assistance as they rejoin or move up in the workforce. DAVID can help with informed decisions, reduce uncertainty, and encourage unemployed Alabamians to join the workforce and participate in the economy.

 “Benefit cliffs, which occur when earnings gains are offset by the loss of public benefits, have long been recognized to create financial disincentives for low-income individuals to earn more income or train for higher paying occupations,” said Tim McCartney, Chairman of the Alabama Workforce Council. “Under Governor Ivey’s leadership, Alabama has made abating benefit cliffs central to the state’s strategy for helping people achieve self-sufficiency.”

AlabamaWorks’ mission is to recruit, train and empower a highly skilled workforce driven by business and industry needs.

For more information on AlabamaWorks, visit www.alabamaworks.com/.

To learn more about DAVID and watch a demonstration, visit https://alabamaworks.com/david/