Alabama’s preliminary April unemployment rate was 2.8%, a new record low for the state, Gov. Kay Ivey said this morning.
“The people of Alabama want to work, plain and simple, and that combined with our efforts helped us reach the lowest unemployment rate in our state’s history, yet again,” Ivey said in a written statement.
The 2.8% compares to 2.9% in March and 3.6% in April 2021. The unemployment rate measures the number of Alabamians who are actively seeking work and the April rate represents 63,208 unemployed people, a new record, compared to 65,441 in March and 81,599 in April 2021.
Another record: 2,213,189 people were counted as employed in April, up from 2,204,911 in March and 43,594 from April 2021. The civilian labor force increased by 25,203 over the year to 2,276,397.
Total private weekly wages increased in April to $990.46, a new record high, and an increase of $21.12 from April 2021.
“I can’t tell you the last time I’ve seen a jobs report with this many positives,” said Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington in the written release. “This is great news for Alabama’s economy and especially for our coastal region as we move into the prime tourist season. On top of the other records, we’ve also increased wages to a new record high, with average weekly wages gaining over $21 dollars over-the-year. Additionally, the leisure and hospitality sector set yet another record for weekly wages, with a yearly increase of more than $28.”
Counties with the lowest unemployment rates were: Shelby, 1.4%; Marshall, 1.5%; and Morgan, Madison, Limestone, Elmore, Cullman, and Blount, 1.6%.
Counties with the highest unemployment rates were: Wilcox, 7.7%; Lowndes, 5.5%; and Perry, 5.4%.