Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Covington County unemployment rate for August saw a slight increase from July, from 2.5 percent to 2.6, according to the Alabama Department of Labor.

The preliminary, seasonally adjusted rate for Covington County reflects a civilian workforce of 15,083 people, a decrease from August 2023’s workforce of 15,302. A total of 14,690 members of the county’s workforce were employed with 393 unemployed, based on statistics provided by the ADOL and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The August unemployment rate was down .4 percent year-over-year. The August 2022 rate was 2.9 percent.

The county’s rate was just below the state’s rate of 2.6 percent.

Unemployment rates for neighboring counties in August were: Butler County, 2.8 percent, up from 2.6 in July; Coffee County, 2.4 percent, up from July’s 2.3 percent; Conecuh County, 3.6 percent, up from 3.3 percent; Crenshaw County, 2.4 percent, a slight increase from July’s 2.3 percent; Escambia County, 2.9 percent, up from 2.8; and Geneva County came in at 2.4 percent, an increase from July’s rate of 2.3 percent.

The state’s August rate of 2.1 percent remains at a record low and also reflects a record number of people working. The August rate is well below the August 2022 rate of 2.6 percent, representing 48,605 unemployed, a new record low, according to ADOL Secretary Fitzgerald Washington.

“Yet again, we are announcing record breaking economic statistics this month,” Washington said. “While our labor force participation rate remained unchanged, we are continuing to work with marginalized groups to get them into our labor force.”

The number of Alabamians counted as employed increased by 32,631 over the year to a new record high of 2,259,025. The civilian labor force also reached a new record high of 2,307,630, with 21,036 more people joining the labor force over the year.

Over the year, wage and salary employment increased by 38,100 to 2,149,800 with gains in the leisure and hospitality sector (+4,900), the private education and health services sector (+7,100), the government sector (+5,900), the trade, transportation, and utilities sector (+8,100), and the professional and business services sector (+6,000), among others.

Over the month, wage and salary employment increased by 1,900, totaling 2,149,800 with gains in the government sector (+2,800), the professional and business services sector (+2,400), and the private education and health services sector (+2,100), among others.

Counties with the lowest unemployment rates are: Shelby County at 1.8 percent; Morgan, Marshall, Madison, and Cullman counties at 2.0 percent; and St. Clair, Limestone, Elmore, and Blount counties at 2.1 percent.

Counties with the highest unemployment rates are: Wilcox County at 7.3 percent, Dallas County at 5.5 percent, and Perry County at 5.0 percent.

Major cities with the lowest unemployment rates are: Vestavia Hills at 1.6 percent, Alabaster, Homewood, Madison, and Trussville at 1.7 percent, and Hoover at 1.8 percent.

Major cities with the highest unemployment rates are: Selma at 6.5 percent, Prichard at 4.9 percent, and Bessemer at 4 percent.

The “prime-age” participation rate, which measures the labor force participation rate for individuals aged 25-54 remains 77.8 percent in Alabama.