Limestone and other north Alabama counties reported among the lowest jobless rates this past month, while the state logged another record-low unemployment rate. 

Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington announced Friday Alabama set a new record low unemployment rate for the seventh month running. 

The state’s preliminary, seasonally adjusted August unemployment rate is 3.1%, down from July’s rate of 3.3%, and well below August 2018’s rate of 3.9%.

August’s rate represents 2,184,511 employed residents and is a new record high, measuring 68,033 more than last year’s count, and 12,757 more than last month’s count.

“Not only can we be proud of the fact that Alabama is breaking record after record; but we can also be proud that more of our good men and women are gaining employment,” said Gov. Kay Ivey. “Alabama has made significant progress regarding our economy. Not only are we putting people to work, but their earnings are increasing, and our industries are growing. Even with all this headway, we realize we must continue exhausting our efforts to make sure that all Alabamians who want a job have a job, and we won’t stop until we achieve that goal.”

 

Other record-breakers

Washington said Alabama continues to break other records as well. 

“More people are working in Alabama than ever before, a record we’ve broken every single month this year,” he said. “More than 68,000 Alabamians are working today who weren’t last year. … Fewer people are unemployed in Alabama than ever before, and our workforce is larger than it’s ever been, with consecutive growth for the past eight months.”

August’s rate represents 70,652 unemployed residents, a new record low, down from 75,101 in July and down from 86,212 in 2018.

The civilian labor force increased in August to a record high 2,255,163, up 8,308 from July’s count, and up 52,473 from August 2018.

“Additionally, our jobs count reached a record high for the fourth time this year, gaining more than 37,000 jobs over the year, representing a job growth percentage of 1.8%, which surpassed the nation’s job growth, while Alabamians are also seeing growth in their earnings,” Washington said.

Alabama has matched or surpassed the national annual job growth rate for the past seven months.

Over the year, wage and salary employment grew by 37,300, with gains in the professional and business services sector (9,900), the leisure and hospitality sector (6,600) and the trade, transportation and utilities sector (5,200). 

Wage and salary employment grew in August, too. Monthly gains were seen in the government sector (5,300), the professional and business services sector (3,000) and the trade, transportation and utilities sector (1,900). 

Average weekly earnings increased $27.05 since August 2018 and $8.97 since July. 

 

Counties 

All 67 counties saw unemployment rates decrease over the year, and 66 of 67 counties saw rates decrease or remain the same over the month.

Counties with the lowest unemployment rates are: Shelby County at 2.1%, Marshall and Madison counties at 2.3% and Morgan, Limestone and Elmore counties at 2.4%.

Counties with the highest unemployment rates are: Wilcox County at 6.9%, Clarke County at 5.9% and Greene County at 5.8%.

Major cities with the lowest unemployment rates are: Vestavia Hills at 1.8%, Northport and Homewood at 1.9% and Alabaster and Hoover at 2.0%.

Major cities with the highest unemployment rates are: Selma at 6.5%, Prichard at 5.5% and Anniston at 4.1%.