Yellowhammer Times

State of Alabama, Department of Labor issued the following announcement on Dec. 18.

Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington announced that Alabama’s preliminary, seasonally adjusted November unemployment rate is 4.4%, down from October’s revised rate of 5.7%, and above November 2019’s rate of 2.7%. November’s rate represents 100,537 unemployed persons, compared to 127,425 in October and 61,381 in November 2019.

“As we are nearing the end of a definitively turbulent year, it’s truly great news to see our unemployment rate drop below 5%,” said Washington. “We’re not where we were prior to the pandemic, and it may take more time to get there, but we’re making progress. We’ve got more people working now than at any time since the pandemic started. We remain dedicated to helping those who were impacted by the pandemic by helping them find jobs or get the training they need to start new careers.”

The number of people counted as employed in November was 2,166,308, up from 2,119,599 in October, but down from the 2,186,809 measured in November 2019. This count represents the highest level of employment since March.

Wage and salary employment increased in November by 17,200 to 2,052,300, its highest level since April 2020. Monthly gains were seen in the trade, transportation, and utilities sector (+8,700), the professional and business services sector (+2,500), and the manufacturing sector (+2,300), among others.

Over the year, wage and salary employment decreased 40,800, with losses in the leisure and hospitality sector (-23,600), the education and health services sector

(-18,700), and the government sector (-9,800), among others.

Counties with the lowest unemployment rates are: Cullman County at 2.4%, Shelby, Marshall, and Franklin Counties at 2.5%, and Randolph, Dekalb, Cleburne, and Blount Counties at 2.6%. Counties with the highest unemployment rates are: Wilcox County at 10.9%, Lowndes County at 10.7%, and Perry County at 8.0%.

Major cities with the lowest unemployment rates are: Homewood and Vestavia Hills at 2.0%, Alabaster and Madison at 2.3%, and Hoover at 2.5%. Major cities with the highest unemployment rates are: Prichard at 11.7%, Selma at 9.4%, and Bessemer at 7.6%.

Original source can be found here.