MONTGOMERY – The Alabama Department of Labor (ADOL) on Friday released unemployment numbers for June 2018. Statewide, June’s preliminary, seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is 4.1 percent, up from May’s rate of 3.9 percent, and less than June 2017’s rate of 4.3 percent. Cullman County’s rate ticked up to 4.2 percent from 3.1 percent in May and 4.1 percent in June 2017.
Counties with the lowest unemployment rates are: Shelby County at 3.7 percent; Elmore, Cullman and Baldwin Counties at 4.2 percent; and Marshall County at 4.3 percent. Counties with the highest unemployment rates are: Wilcox County at 11.4 percent, Clarke County at 9.3 percent and Perry County at 9.2 percent.
June employment data measures 2,098,377 employed persons, compared to 2,091,505 in May and 2,073,795 in June 2017. 89,353 people were counted as unemployed, up from 85,589 in and below 93,997 in June 2017.
ADOL Sec. Fitzgerald Washington said the number of people counted as working in Alabama has reached 2,098,377, a record high. Additionally, Alabama’s economy is supporting more jobs than ever before, with employers reporting 2,050,400 positions.
“More Alabamians are employed than we have ever seen,” said Washington. “More people are entering the workforce, optimistic that they will find work, and they are finding it. Employers are telling us that they are supporting more positions than ever before. Jobs are available in Alabama, and even more are being announced every day. Alabama is working!”
Over the year, wage and salary employment increased 23,800, with gains in the professional and business services sector (+7,800), the manufacturing sector (+6,100), and the leisure and hospitality sector (+5,000), among others.
Wage and salary employment increased in June by 7,500. Monthly gains were seen in the professional and business services sector (+5,000), the manufacturing sector (+2,200), and the leisure and hospitality sector (+1,300), among others.
“As we are experiencing job growth, we’re also seeing our wages increase,” continued Washington. “Workers are earning on average more than $30 per week more now than they were last year, and we’ve also seen wages increase in the construction, manufacturing, and professional and business services industries.”
Private sector average weekly wages increased over the year by $30.71, from $783.66 in June 2017 to $814.37 in June 2018.
Major cities with the lowest unemployment rates are: Vestavia Hills at 3.3 percent, Alabaster at 3.5 percent and Homewood and Hoover at 3.6 percent. Major cities with the highest unemployment rates are: Prichard and Selma at 8.9 percent, Anniston at 6.7 percent, and Bessemer at 6.4 percent.
Map by TheCullmanTribune on Scribd
County Rates by TheCullmanTribune on Scribd
