MONTGOMERY – The unemployment rate has ticked up from a year ago, but the rate has basically remained from last month, according to the Alabama Department of Labor.
Meanwhile, North Alabama counties continue to drive the state with several posting the lowest jobless rates in the state.
The counties with the lowest unemployment rates are: Shelby County at 2.6%; Morgan and Madison counties at 2.8%; and Cullman, Elmore, Limestone, Marshall, and St. Clair counties at 2.9%.
Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington said today that Alabama’s labor force participation rate for August is unchanged at 57.5% while the percentage of prime-age workers increased by one-tenth of a percentage point to 79.4% over the month.
Over the year, this number increased by 1.6 percentage points from 77.8%. Prime-age workers are those aged 25-54 years.
“Prime age workers are continuing to do their part here in Alabama,” said Washington. “Each month, we move closer and closer to 80 percent of this population either working or looking for work. This is also reflected in our civilian labor force population increasing to a new record high, along with the number of people who are employed.”
Alabama’s preliminary, seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is 2.8%, unchanged from July 2024’s revised rate. August’s rate is above August 2023’s rate of 2.5%. The rate represents 66,619 unemployed persons, compared to 66,566 in July and 58,570 in August 2023.
The number of people counted as employed increased by 19,816 over the year to 2,276,999, a new record high. The civilian labor force also increased to a new record high of 2,343,618, with 27,865 more people joining over the year.
Over the year, wage and salary employment increased by 43,200 to 2,208,000, with gains in the private education and health services sector (+12,800), the manufacturing sector (+8,500), and the trade, transportation, and utilities sector (+6,900), among others.
“Employers added over 43,000 more jobs in the past year,” said Washington. “This is great news for our economy and we’re seeing growth in multiple sectors.”
Major cities with the lowest unemployment rates are: Vestavia Hills at 2.3%, Trussville at 2.4%, and Alabaster, Homewood, and Madison at 2.5%. Major cities with the highest unemployment rates are: Selma at 7.2%, Prichard at 5.9%, and Anniston at 4.8%.
Counties with the highest unemployment rates are: Wilcox County at 8.9%, Perry County at 6.9%, and Clarke County at 6.4%.
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