From The Trussville Tribune staff reports
MONTGOMERY — Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington announced on Friday that Alabama set a new record low unemployment rate, according to a department news release.
The adjusted August unemployment rate is now 3.1%, which is down from July’s rate of 3.3%. August’s rate represents 2,184,511 employment, also a new record high.
“Not only can we be proud of the fact that Alabama is breaking record after record; but we can also be proud that more of our good men and women are gaining employment,” Governor Kay Ivey said. “Alabama has made significant progress regarding our economy. Not only are we putting people to work, but their earnings are increasing, and our industries are growing. Even with all this headway, we realize we must continue exhausting our efforts to make sure that all Alabamians who want a job have a job, and we won’t stop until we achieve that goal.”
The August rate represents 70,652 unemployed people, which is also a new record low.
“Along with this brand-new record low unemployment rate, Alabama continues to break other records as well,” Washington said. “More people are working in Alabama than ever before, a record we’ve broken every single month this year. More than 68,000 Alabamians are working today that weren’t last year, and that’s great news. Fewer people are unemployed in Alabama than ever before, and our workforce is larger than it’s ever been, with consecutive growth for the past eight months.”
The civilian labor force increased in August to a record high of 2,255,163.
Average weekly earnings increased $27.05 since August 2018, and $8.97 since July. All 67 counties saw their unemployment rates decrease over the year, and 66 of 67 counties saw their rates decrease or remain the same over the month.
Counties with the lowest unemployment rates are: Shelby County at 2.1%, Marshall and Madison Counties at 2.3%, and Morgan, Limestone and Elmore Counties at 2.4%. Counties with the highest unemployment rates are: Wilcox County at 6.9%, Clarke County at 5.9% and Greene County at 5.8%.
Major cities with the lowest unemployment rates are: Vestavia Hills at 1.8%, Northport and Homewood at 1.9%, and Alabaster and Hoover at 2.0%. Major cities with the highest unemployment rates are: Selma at 6.5%, Prichard at 5.5% and Anniston at 4.1%.
