February's unemployment numbers | News

Tom Surtees of the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations has announced that Alabama's unemployment rate has dropped to 7.6% for the month of February, which is down from 7.8% in January.  A year ago, Alabama's unemployment rate was 9.3%.

“Again, we are seeing positive trends in our unemployment rate,” said Surtees. “We continue to see our rate drop, and we are realizing job gains in various industries. Also this month, our state’s online jobs database, Joblink Alabama, saw a record breaking 11,000 jobs posted – the most jobs posted in the site’s seven year history.”

Wage and salary employment increased over the month by 13,700. Increases were realized in the leisure and hospitality industry, the manufacturing industry, the construction industry, and the professional and business services industry.

Counties with the lowest unemployment rates were: Shelby County at 5.6%, Lee County at 6.4%, and Coffee County at 6.6%.

Counties with the highest unemployment rates were: Wilcox County at 16.9%, Lowndes County at 16.0%, and Dallas County at 14.2%.

Houston County's unemployment rate was 7.4%, down from 7.5% in January and down from 8.8% a year ago.

Source:  Alabama Department of Industrial Relations