Alabama has joined a growing list of GOP-led states that are ending participation in federal pandemic-related unemployment programs amid concerns that the benefits are leading to a shortage in people looking for work. Gov. Kay Ivey, a Republican, cited an increase in job postings along with complaints from businesses saying they can’t find workers to hire for her decision to withdraw from the programs. The governor flagged the unemployment benefits boost, which was approved last March under the CARES Act before it was extended, as contributing to the labor shortage. “As Alabama’s economy continues its recovery, we are hearing from more and more business owners and employers that it is increasingly difficult to find workers to fill available jobs, even though job openings are abundant,” Ivey said in a statement on May 10. The Department of Labor last week released a report saying that in April, only 266,000 new jobs …