MONTGOMERY – The state unemployment rate for January was 2.6%, Gov. Kay Ivey announced today. The preliminary, seasonally adjusted January unemployment rate is unchanged from December 2022’s revised rate, and also unchanged from January 2022’s rate.
However, the unemployment rate was up from December across the 10-county North Alabama region.
January’s rate represents 58,411 unemployed persons statewide compared to 59,986 in December and 60,270 in January 2022.
“I’m proud to kick off 2023 with a continuation of Alabama’s unemployment rate holding steady,” said Ivey. “We have been enjoying a period of low unemployment, high wages and high jobs count for some time now, and I believe that more is yet to come. We will not back down on our commitment to continue to bring quality, high-paying jobs to Alabama.”
Counties with the lowest unemployment rates are: Shelby County at 1.8%, Morgan County at 2.0%, and Marshall, Madison, Limestone and Cullman counties at 2.1%.
The City of Madison has the state’s second-lowest rate among major cities at 1.7%, trailing only Homewood’s 1.6%. But, Madison’s rate is up from 1.3% in December.
The rates for other cities in north Alabama are Athens, 2.1% in January, up from 1.7% in December; Decatur, 2.1% in January, up from December’s 1.8%; Florence, 2.7%, up from 2.4%; and Huntsville, 2.3%, up from 1.9%.
Over the year, wage and salary employment increased 54,100, with gains in the manufacturing sector (+10,400), the professional and business services sector (+8,700) and the private education and health services sector (+7,500), among others.
“Additionally, we’re continuing to see positive increases in our wages, meaning more money in Alabamians’ pockets,” said Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington. “This month, we reached one of our highest average weekly wages in history.”
Total private wages increased by $30.12/weekly over the year to $1,008.61 in January, marking the third highest weekly wages in history.
Major cities with the lowest unemployment rates are: Homewood at 1.6%, Madison at 1.7%, and Alabaster, Trussville and Vestavia Hills at 1.8%.
Major cities with the highest unemployment rates are: Selma at 6.4%, Prichard at 5.2% and Bessemer at 4.2%.
Counties with the highest unemployment rates are: Wilcox County at 8.8%, Clarke County at 5.9% and Dallas County at 5.4%.
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