FROM STAFF REPORTS

Shelby County’s unemployment rate rose nearly a percentage point in June, up to 6.1 percent from May’s rate of 5.2 percent, according to the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations.

The state jobless rate also saw a rise, although not as steep. In June, the state rate was 7.8 percent, up almost a half point from May’s rate of 7.4 percent.

Alabama Department of Industrial Relations Director Tom Surtees said the state is experiencing a “seasonal increase in the labor force.”

“People looking for summer work, as well as teachers and education employees who are not working over the summer, are entering the job market. Since the unemployment rate is simply the percentage of people in the labor force who are not working, this increase will inevitably raise the unemployment rate.”

Alabama’s online jobs database continues to register more jobs than at any time in the site’s history. In June, JobLink saw a record-breaking 15,690 jobs available, according to the press release.

Counties with the lowest unemployment rates were Shelby, Coffee at 7.3 percent and Limestone at 7.4 percent.

Counties with the highest jobless rates were Wilcox at 18.8 percent, Lowndes at 16.5 percent and Dallas at 16.3 percent.

To find out more about JobLink, visit Joblink.alabama.gov.