Alabama’s unemployment rate was 3.1% in January, unchanged from the previous five months, the Alabama Department of Labor said this morning.
That compares to 4% in January 2021. January’s rate represents 69,141 unemployed persons, compared to 69,434 in December and 90,390 in January 2021.
“Alabama’s healthy economic environment is carrying on, with our unemployment rate holding steady yet again for a fourth consecutive month,” ADOL Secretary Fitzgerald Washington said in a written statement. “While holding steady may not seem like a positive thing to some, given the uncertainties that currently exist in our national economy, I’m proud to say that, so far, Alabama is maintaining positive employment trends.”
Washington said 33,000 jobs have been created in the last year and average weekly wages increased by $30.60 over the year, Washington said.
Counties with the lowest unemployment rates were: Shelby, 2.2%; Marshall, Limestone, and Cullman, 2.5%; and Morgan, Elmore, and Blount, 2.6%.
Counties with the highest unemployment rates were: Wilcox, 11.2%; Lowndes, 8.6%; and Perry, 8.4%.
Major cities with the lowest unemployment rates were: Homewood, 2%; Alabaster, 2.1%; and Athens and Madison, 2.3%.
Major cities with the highest unemployment rates were: Selma, 8%; Prichard, 7.3%; and Bessemer, 5.6%.