Limestone County’s unemployment rate dipped below 5 percent last month, according to numbers released Friday by the state Department of Labor.

The local rate was 4.8 percent as compared to 5.5 percent in February. The unemployment rate in March 2016 was 5.3 percent.

Regional jobless rates also saw significant decreases in March. Madison dropped from 5.2 to 4.8 percent, while Morgan dipped from 5.7 to 4.9. Lauderdale’s rate went from 6.2 percent in February to 5.4 percent in March.

The statewide rate dropped from 6.2 to 5.8 percent, which represents 128,757 unemployed people. That number is 7,900 fewer than the month before.

“As we work to improve Alabama’s image, these figures are welcomed news, but they are just a start,” Gov. Kay Ivey said. “I am honored that the first employment numbers announced during my administration are on the right side of the ledger.”

Labor Commissioner Fitzgerald Washington says the reduction happened because more people were able to find jobs as they entered the workforce.

Wilcox County in western Alabama has the state’s highest jobless rate, 13.8 percent. Shelby County in metro Birmingham is lowest at 4 percent.

Desired jobs

Data collected and analyzed by the Alabama Department of Labor’s Labor Market Information Division shows the most online wanted ads were for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, registered nurses, and retail salespersons, with 5,284 ads placed for those occupations in March.

The Help Wanted Online (HWOL) data is compiled from all online job postings in the state, including those posted on the state’s free online jobs database, www.joblink.alabama.gov, and other sources; such as traditional job boards, corporate boards, and social media sites. There were 38,095 online ads this month, of those 15,356 were new ads.

Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn a mean wage of $19.04 per hour, registered nurses earn a mean wage of $27.49 per hour, and retail salespersons earn a mean wage of $13.02 per hour.

“We continue to see technical jobs advancing in this list, and bringing with them higher wages,” Washington said. “These high-tech, in-demand fields can command wages of more than $40 an hour.”

Network and Computer Systems Administrators continue to be an in-demand occupation with 16.3 percent more online job ads this year than last year. This occupation has a satisfactory occupational outlook through 2024 and an average income of $72,735. Most of these occupations require a bachelor’s degree with some on-the-job training and/or work-related experience.

— The Associated Press contributed to this report.