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By Carey Reeder | Managing Editor

The Alabama Department of Labor released its unemployment data for the state on July 19, which showed a spike in the unemployment rate in Chilton County. The county’s unemployment rate went up from 2.1% in May to 2.7% in June, and the rate for this June is higher than last year’s June rate of 2.6% as well. These rates represent 556 unemployed persons in Chilton County in June compared to 435 in May, and 522 in June 2023.

As the same in May, while the unemployment rate went up, the number of employed persons and the civilian labor force in Chilton County also increased. The number of employed persons in the county increased to 20,035 in June, up from 19,927 in May. June’s number this year is higher than the 19,676 employed persons in June 2023 as well. The civilian labor force in the county increased from 20,362 in May to 20,591 in June, which is also higher than the 20,196 in June 2023.

“We are continuing to see Alabama’s employers adding jobs at a record pace,” Fitzgerald Washington, Alabama Department of Labor Secretary, said in a press release. “Our economy is supporting more jobs than ever before. Additionally, our average weekly wages have increased to their second highest level ever.”

Counties in Alabama with the lowest unemployment rates are Shelby and Morgan Counties at 2.3%. Marshall and Cullman Counties are close behind at 2.4%, followed by Madison, Limestone and Elmore Counties at 2.5%. Wilcox County ranked as the highest unemployment rate in Alabama at 8.5% with Perry County at 6.8% and Dallas County at 6.0% following behind. All county unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted numbers.

For the state as a whole, Alabama’s preliminary, seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for June is down to 2.9% from May’s rate of 3.0%. June 2024’s rate is higher than last year’s rate of 2.3%. The rates represent 67,784 unemployed persons in June compared to 70,668 in May, and 53,412 in June 2023. The state’s not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is also 2.9%.

New record highs were set again in certain employment sectors for the state, such as the number of people counted as employed increasing by 20,417 over the year to a new record high of 2,270,227. The civilian labor force also increased to a new record high to 2,338,011 with 34,789 more people joining over the year.

“The number of prime age workers increased by more than one percentage point since last year,” Washington said. “Combined with the growth in the civilian labor force, the growth in employment, and the growth in jobs, these numbers are all excellent indicators of Alabama’s economic picture.”

The wage and salary employment in Alabama increased by 47,500 persons to a new record high of 2,218,400. Gains in the private education and health services sector of 11,900 persons, the government sector of 8,900 persons and the manufacturing sector of 7,700 persons were among the new additions to the group.