According to the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations, the county’s unemployment rate dropped to 8.9 percent in August from 9.4 percent in July. In contrast, the state average unemployment rate was 8.5 percent in August, a slight increase from 8.3 percent in July.
Also, the county’s August unemployment rate is lower than the 9.6 percent unemployment rate it had during the same month last year.
Both the county and state unemployment rates are higher than the national unemployment rate of 8.1 percent in August.
Alabama counties with the lowest unemployment rates in August were Shelby at 5.8 percent, Coffee at 7.1 percent, and Blount, Limestone and Madison counties at 7.2 percent.
Counties with the highest unemployment rates were Wilcox at 19.2 percent, Bullock at 17.1 percent and Dallas County at 16.6 percent.
