Alabama Jobless Rate Increases

Alabama's unemployment rate is headed in the wrong direction. It climbed to 9.9% (213,975 people) in June, up from 9.6% (206,578) in May .

More than 30,000 people are unemployed in Mobile and Baldwin counties alone.

“While we are disappointed to report any increase in our seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, we keep in mind the contributing factors that led us here,” said Tom Surtees, Alabama Department of Industrial Relations Director.. “We still have hundreds of Alabamians unemployed as a direct result of the tornadoes of last April and the national unemployment rate also continues to rise."

Surtees says June's increase is due to hundreds of Alabamians still being unemployed because of the April tornadoes, an increase in the national unemployment rate, and more discouraged workers re-entering the job market to seek jobs.

Alabama recorded its lowest unemployment rate of the year in March when the Industrial Relations Department reported 9.2 percent. Then the rate rose to 9.3 percent in April, 9.6 percent in May and now 9.9 percent.

Counties with the lowest rates are Shelby at 7.7 percent, Coffee at 8.4 percent, and Limestone at 8.7 percent. Counties with the highest rates are Wilcox at 23.4 percent, Perry at 19.9 percent, and Dallas at 19.1 percent.

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