MONTGOMERY – The state unemployment for November is steady from last month, but North Alabama has shown improvement over October, according to the latest report from the Department of Labor.
Alabama’s preliminary, seasonally adjusted November unemployment rate is 2.7%, unchanged from October, and below November 2021’s rate of 3.1%, Gov. Kay Ivey announced today. November’s rate represents 63,043 unemployed persons, compared to 61,721 in October and 69,688 in November 2021.
Marshall, Cullman and Morgan counties posted unemployment rates below 2% – among the state’s lowest. Marshall and Cullman counties have a 1.8% rate; Marshall was 2% in October and Cullman County was 1.9%. Morgan County improved to 1.9% from 2.1%.
Among the area’s large cities, Madison had a 1.6% jobless rate, compared to 1.8% in October. Other cities and their rates are Athens, 1.9% from 2%; Decatur, 2% from 2.2%; Huntsville, 2.1% from 2.3%; and Florence, 2.5% steady.
Limestone and Madison counties each had a 2% unemployment rate in November; Madison County is down from 2.2% in October and Limestone County is down from 2.1%. Other county rates are DeKalb County, 2.1% from 2.2%; Jackson County, 2.1% from 2.3%; Lawrence County, 2.2% from 2.4%; Lawrence County 2.4% from 2.5%; and Colbert County, 2.8% from 3%.
“It is encouraging to see that Alabama’s economy is supporting more jobs today than ever in our 203 year history,” Ivey said. “While we continue maintaining a low unemployment rate, the fact that our businesses are growing jobs is certainly something to be grateful for this holiday season. We will continue working hard to support Alabamians as we weather a challenging national climate.”
Wage and salary employment marked a record high in November, totaling 2,119,800 people employed. Over the year, wage and salary employment increased 51,300, with gains in the education and health services sector (up 14,000), the professional and business services sector (up 13,900) and the trade, transportation and utilities sector ( up5,700), among others.
Over the month, wage and salary employment increased in November by 9,600. Monthly gains were seen in the trade, transportation and utilities sector (8,100), the government sector (1,600) and the professional and business services sector (1,100), among others.
“We continue to be encouraged by the job growth in Alabama,” said Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington. “Many of our industries are seeing record high employment, and wages are maintaining strong year over year growth as well.”
Going hand in hand with the record high jobs count, several industries are also seeing record high levels of employment, including the education and health services sector (254,400), the professional and business services sector (265,600) and the trade, transportation and utilities sector (409,200).
Total private average weekly wages remained high at $996.83, an increase of $23.96 over last year.
Counties with the lowest unemployment rates are: Shelby County at 1.7%, Marshall and Cullman counties at 1.8% and Morgan and Clay counties at 1.9%. Counties with the highest unemployment rates are: Wilcox County at 8.4%, Perry County at 5.4% and Dallas County at 5.2%.
Major cities with the lowest unemployment rates are: Homewood and Trussville at 1.5%, Vestavia Hills and Madison at 1.6% and Alabaster and Hoover at 1.7%. Major cities with the highest unemployment rates are: Selma at 6.2%, Prichard at 5.7% and Bessemer at 3.8%.
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