ALABAMA: The European jet maker Airbus has inaugurated its first production plant in the United States.
The $600 million facility in Mobile, Alabama, is due to eventually employ about 1,000 workers.
The move will also help Airbus cut costs. Alabama has one of the lowest minimum wages in the United States — $7.25 per hour — and strikes are rare in the state. Employment benefits are about 30 percent less expensive than in Europe.