Alabama’s seasonal adjusted unemployment rate remained at 3.3% in May, unchanged from the month prior and above May 2024’s 2.9%, the Alabama Department of Workforce said today.
The state’s labor participation rate also remained the same, 58%. That’s six-tenths of a percentage point above May 2024. The national rate is 62.4%.
The percentage of young workers ticked down by a tenth of a percentage point to 78.7% from April to May.
“I continue to be pleased with the increases in our labor force participation rate,” Workforce Secretary Greg Reed said in a written statement. “The last time Alabama saw a rate of 58.0% was more than 12 years ago in 2013. That shows that Alabama’s workforce continues to adapt and grow, even in periods following a major recession and a worldwide pandemic.”
The unemployment rate, which counts those actively seeking work, represents 78,246 people, compared to 78,756 in April and 67,878 in May 2024.
The number of people counted as employed increased by 34,312 over the year to 2.3 million, a new high, Reed’s office said.
Over the year, wage and salary employment increased by 23,100 to more than 2.2 million, also a new high. Gains were seen in the private education and health services, leisure and hospitality and government sectors.
“Our employers are encouraged by our economic progress and are continuing to create and fill jobs at an unprecedented pace,” Reed said. “The economic news this month continues to be positive and is keeping our momentum going.”
Counties with the lowest unemployment rates in May were: Shelby, 2.2%; St. Clair, Morgan, Madison, Limestone, and Elmore, at 2.3%; and Marshall, Lawrence, DeKalb, Blount and Autauga, 2.4%.
Major cities with the lowest unemployment rates were: Vestavia Hills, Trussville, Madison, and Homewood, 2%; Hoover, Alabaster, and Pelham, 2.1%; and Athens and Prattville, 2.3%.