Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington announced Friday that Alabama has broken its employment record for the third month in a row. In July, 2,105,513 people were counted as employed, up from June’s count of 2,098,121, and up from July 2017’s count of 2,077,406, representing a yearly increase of 28,107.

In July, 90,987 people were counted as unemployed, compared to 89,302 in June and 89,858 in July 2017.

“We continue to break employment records in Alabama,” Washington said. “Nearly 30,000 more people are working now than they were last year. The message is clear, Alabama: we have jobs!”

In Covington County, the jobless rate fell slightly, from 5.4 percent in June of 2018 to 5.1 percent in July. It was also down slightly from the July 2017 rate. The rate reflects 815 unemployed people, down from 865 last month.

Escambia County posted a 5.3 percent unemployment rate, while Conecuh County had 5.8 percent; Butler had 5.9 percent; Crenshaw County had 4.5 percent; Coffee County had 4.3 percent; and Geneva had 4.0 percent.

Counties with the lowest unemployment rates are: Shelby County at 3.1 percent, Cullman County at 3.5 percent, and Marshall, Elmore, and Baldwin Counties at 3.7 percent. Counties with the highest unemployment rates are: Wilcox County at 11.2 percent, Clarke County at 9.1 percent, and Perry County at 8.6 percent.

 

Major cities with the lowest unemployment rates are: Vestavia Hills at 2.7 percent, Hoover at 3.0 percent, and Homewood and Alabaster at 3.1 percent. Major cities with the highest unemployment rates are: Selma at 9.3 percent, Prichard at 8.8 percent, and Anniston at 6.0.