FROM STAFF REPORTS

Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington announced recently 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!”

“Those jobs are coming with higher wages. We’ve seen wages increase both over the month and over the year. In fact, workers in Alabama are earning more weekly than they have in the past 11 years.”

The preliminary, seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for July is 4.1 percent, which is unchanged from June’s rate, and equal to July 2017’s rate.

Counties with the lowest unemployment rates were Shelby County at 3.1 percent, Cullman County at 3.5 percent, and Marshall, Elmore, and Baldwin Counties at 3.7 percent.

Shelby County’s rate is down from 3.7 percent in June and 3.3 percent in July 2017.

The rate represents 3,462 unemployed people out of a civilian labor force of 111,988.

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 were Vestavia Hills at 2.7 percent, Hoover at 3 percent, and Homewood and Alabaster at 3.1 percent.

Major cities with the highest unemployment rates were Selma at 9.3 percent, Prichard at 8.8 percent and Anniston at 6 percent.