Southern Company, parent company of Alabama Power, was named Alabama’s best employer in Forbes magazine’s annual report on the best companies to work for across the U.S.

Forbes partnered with market research firm Statista to survey 70,000 workers at companies (minimum of 500 employees) in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, according to the report.

Participants were asked if they would recommend their employer to others and to evaluate their employer based on working conditions, diversity, compensation packages, potential for development, company image and more.

The number of companies on each individual state list was dependent on factors including the size of the companies and workforce in that state.

In Alabama, 15 employers were deemed worthy of a spot on the list.

Southern Company employs some 27,700 employees, with more than 6,000 working for Alabama Power.

“Southern Company is honored to be recognized by Forbes as the best employer in Alabama,” said Chris Womack, president & CEO of Southern Company. “This accolade is particularly rewarding because it is directly based on employee feedback.

“We strive to be a leader in our industry and will continue to create the best workplace possible for our thousands of team members who work each and every day to provide world-class service to the customers we have the privilege to serve.”

Southern Company was followed by Books-A-Million, which was founded in 1917 and is headquartered in Birmingham.

According to the Alabama Retail Association, Books-A-Million has a total workforce of more than 5,400, with more than 1,000 in Alabama.

The University of Alabama-Birmingham ranked third among the state’s best employers, to go along with its ranking as Alabama’s largest public employer with more than 28,000 people employed across the university and hospital system.

According to the university, UAB has an estimated economic impact of more than $12 billion annually.

“To be recognized by Forbes as a top employer in the state is a great honor,” said Janet May, the university’s chief human resources officer. “UAB is a special place to work and thrive. “This is attributed to our faculty and staff who are dedicated to our students, patients, community and one another.”

UAB was the only institution of higher learning in Alabama to earn a spot on Forbes’ list.

Coming in fourth on the list was Northrup Grumman, followed by Evonik Industries, one of the world’s leading specialty chemical companies. The remainder of the list features:

• Wind Creek Hospitality, which operates a casino resort in Atmore.
• Home Instead Senior Care, which provides in-home assistance for seniors across Alabama.
• Clayton Homes, a mobile and modular home manufacturer based in Mobile.
• Edward Jones, a banking and financial services company.
• Honda Motor, which has a plant in Lincoln, Ala., and employs more than 4,000.
• Polaris, Inc., which has one of its largest manufacturing plants in Huntsville, employing some 2,000 people
• Publix Super Markets, an employee-owned chain which operates the Southern Fresh Farm in Shelby County.
• Boeing, Alabama’s largest aerospace company employs more than 3,000 at its Huntsville facility.
• Hoover City School District, the only one of Alabama’s 139 public school districts to make the list.
• AIRBUS, which operates an assembly site for its commercial airplanes division in Mobile and employs some 2,200 people there.

A total of 1,392 organizations appeared on at least one state list, with 269 companies, such as Apple and JPMorgan Chase, earning a spot on multiple state lists.