Alabama’s overall labor force participation rate was unchanged in November at 57.6%, while the percentage of “prime age” Alabamians working decreased by two-tenths of a percentage point to 78.9%, the Alabama Department of Labor said this morning.
Prime age workers are 25 to 54 years old. In the last year, the percentage of them has increased by half a percentage point.
Meanwhile, Alabama’s unemployment rate was 3.1% in November, up from October’s 2.9% and November 2023’s 2.8%.
That represents 73,278 unemployed people who are actively looking for work, compared to 69,257 in October and 64,404 in November 2023.
In the last year, the number of people counted as employed increased by 17,150 over the year to 2.27 million. The civilian labor force also increased to 2.35 million. That’s a new record high with 26,024 more people joining over the year.
“Alabama employers continue to add jobs at a record pace,” Labor Secretary Marty Redden said in a written statement. “Only a few short years ago, our goal was to break two million wage and salary jobs. Now, we’re climbing closer and closer to two and a quarter million. This represents remarkable progress.”
Average total private weekly wages increased by $42.38 over the year to $1,065.50, a new record high, according to labor.
Several industry sectors saw record-high employment last month, including the trade, transportation, and utilities sector, the financial activities sector, the professional and business services sector, and the private education and health services sector.
“We’re seeing great growth in both employment and wages in Alabama,” Redden said. “More people working and more money in their pockets is always welcome news, especially at the holidays.”
Counties with the lowest unemployment rates in November were: Shelby, 2.6%; Morgan, 2.7%; and Chilton, Cullman, Madison, Marshall, and St. Clair, 2.8%.
Major cities with the lowest unemployment rates were: Homewood, 2.3%; Hoover and Vestavia Hills, 2.4%; and Madison, 2.5%.