HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Ove 200,000 people live in Huntsville and many are concerned that the city is losing its small town feel because of all of the growth and development.
The Huntsville Madison Count Chamber says growth isn't something that we should be afraid of. All of the new Huntsvillians are bringing economic growth to the city.
Lyndsay Ferguson is the Vice President of Workforce Development at the Huntsville Madison County Chamber of Commerce and she's excited to see the changes to come, "So we're really excited to see Huntsville continue to grow and just to see our region continue to attract new business here but also our existing businesses are also continuing to expand here"
Huntsville is attracting a lot of talented individuals, and this is something that locals should be proud of. Ferguson says the Rocket City community should welcome newcomers with open arms.
How does population growth impact service jobs?
Major franchise chains like Starbucks and Dunkin' are offering increased wages and benefits in order to lure applicants.
The Chief Operating Officer of Southern Food Services says its harder to staff Dunkin' stores located in the city compared to other stores in North Alabama like Florence and Muscle Shoals.
They're hoping that as school comes to a close for summer break, they'll receive more applications from high schoolers.
Since Huntsville is the fastest growing city in Alabama and now that there are plenty of jobs to go around the next hill to tackle is affordable housing.