MONTGOMERY – Alabama Department of Labor Sec. Fitzgerald Washington on Friday announced that the preliminary, seasonally adjusted statewide unemployment rate for July is 4.1 percent, which is unchanged from June’s rate, and equal to July 2017’s rate. Cullman County’s rate dipped to 3.5 percent, falling from 4.2 percent in June and 3.8 in July 2017. The county’s rate remains the second-lowest in Alabama.
Washington said Alabama broke its employment record for the third month in a row. In July, 2,105,513 people were counted as employed, up from June’s count of 2,098,121, and up from July 2017’s count of 2,077,406, representing a yearly increase of 28,107.
In July, 90,987 people were counted as unemployed, compared to 89,302 in June and 89,858 in July 2017.
“We continue to break employment records in Alabama,” said Washington. “Nearly 30,000 more people are working now than they were last year. The message is clear, Alabama: we have jobs!”
He continued, “Those jobs are coming with higher wages. We’ve seen wages increase both over the month and over the year. In fact, workers in Alabama are earning more weekly than they have in the past 11 years.”
Total private average weekly earnings rose to $830.55 in July, up from $815.97 in June, and up from $798.62 in July 2017.
Over the year, wage and salary employment increased 22,200, with gains in the manufacturing sector (+8,300), the professional and business services sector (+6,700), and the leisure and hospitality sector (+5,200), among others.
Counties with the lowest unemployment rates are: Shelby County at 3.1 percent, Cullman County at 3.5 percent, and Marshall, Elmore and Baldwin Counties at 3.7 percent. Counties with the highest unemployment rates are: Wilcox County at 11.2 percent, Clarke County at 9.1 percent and Perry County at 8.6 percent.
Major cities with the lowest unemployment rates are: Vestavia Hills at 2.7 percent, Hoover at 3.0 percent and Homewood and Alabaster at 3.1 percent. Major cities with the highest unemployment rates are: Selma at 9.3 percent, Prichard at 8.8 percent and Anniston at 6.0 percent.
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