Alabama’s unemployment holds steady at 3.8 percent

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​Alabama’s jobs ​market ​has held steady through the first quarter of 2018, with the unemployment rate coming in at ​3.8 percent in ​April — the same as it was in March. According to numbers released Friday by ​the Alabama Department of Labor (ADOL), the unemployment rate has held in the 3.7 – 3.8 percent range all year, with January and February at the slightly improved rate of 3.7 percent.

“The good news just keeps coming in Alabama,” Governor Kay Ivey said. “Our workforce is growing, more people are working, and businesses are moving to our great state.  We are proud of how much we’ve improved, and are working hard to build on that momentum.”

According to ADOL statistic, 2,086,659 people were counted as employed in April, an increase of 19,877 from last year.

Additionally, average weekly earnings increased $41.92 over the year with wages in the construction, manufacturing, trade, transportation, and utilities, financial activities, professional and business services, education and health services, and leisure and hospitality sectors all increased over the year.

“All 67 Alabama counties experienced rate drops both over the month and over the year,” said Fitzgerald Washington, Secretary of the Alabama Department of Labor. “Wilcox County, which traditionally has the highest unemployment rate in Alabama, saw its rate drop by 2.2 percentage points over the year.”

Counties with the lowest unemployment rates are:

  • Shelby County: 2.6%
  • Cullman County: 2.8%
  • Marshall, Madison, and Elmore Counties: 3.0%

Counties with the highest unemployment rates are:

  • Wilcox County: 8.6%
  • Clarke and Lowndes Counties: 6.6%
  • Greene County: 6.0%.

Major cities with the lowest unemployment rates are:

  • Homewood and Vestavia Hills: 2.2%
  • Alabaster: 2.5%
  • Hoover, Madison, and Northport: 2.6%

Major cities with the highest unemployment rates are:

  • Prichard: 6.1%
  • Selma: 6.0%
  • Anniston: 5.2%.