From Staff Reports

Shelby County’s unemployment rate in June was above the rates for May and June 2015, according to information released by Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington.

The county’s preliminary unemployment rate was 4.8 percent for June, compared to a revised rate of 4.2 percent for May and 4.6 percent for June 2015.

The June rate represents 5,245 unemployed residents out of a civilian labor force of 109,268.

Shelby County still enjoys the state’s lowest unemployment rate.

The next lowest rates are Elmore County at 5.3 percent and Cherokee County at 5.4 percent.

Counties with the highest unemployment rates are Wilcox County at 15.1 percent, Perry County at 13.5 percent and Clarke County at 12.5 percent.

Major cities with the lowest unemployment rates are Vestavia Hills at 3.7 percent, Hoover at 4.5 percent and Homewood at 4.7 percent.

Major cities with the highest unemployment rates are Selma at 12.4 percent, Prichard at 11.7 percent and Bessemer at 9.5 percent.

The state’s preliminary, seasonally adjusted June unemployment rate is 6 percent, unchanged from May’s revised rate and below the June 2015 rate of 6.1 percent.

June’s rate represents 130,349 unemployed persons, compared to 132,019 in May and 130,604 in June

“Our unemployment rate continues to hold steady,” Washington said in the release. “Even though there was no change in the rate over the month, nearly 34,000 more people are working now than last year, and fewer people are unemployed both over the month and over the year, and those numbers are important to most Alabamians.”

The number of people counted as employed in June was 2,045,497, up from 2,011,654 in June 2015 (seasonally adjusted).

“Employers in Alabama are also reporting that they are supporting more jobs,” Washington said. “There are almost 15,000 more jobs this year than there were last year, and we haven’t seen levels of wage and salary employment this high in nearly eight years. Our employers are hiring and putting Alabamians to work.”

Wage and salary employment measured 1,972,400 in June, representing a yearly increase of 14,900. Yearly gains were seen in the professional and business services sector (plus 4,800), the manufacturing sector (3,900), and the trade, transportation, and utilities sector (3,500), among others.

The last time wage and salary employment was at or above 1,972,400 was October 2008, when it measured 1,981,300.

Unemployment rates for counties surrounding Shelby include Jefferson at 6.3 percent, St. Clair at 5.6 percent, Talladega at 7.2 percent, Coosa at 6.5 percent, Chilton at 6.2 percent and Bibb at 7 percent.