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FROM STAFF REPORTS

MONTGOMERY – Gov. Kay Ivey released information on unemployment rates in Alabama for the month of December, and Shelby County has the lowest in the state at 1.5 percent.

On Friday, Jan. 20, Ivey announced Alabama’s preliminary seasonally adjusted December unemployment rate is 2.8 percent, up slightly from November’s rate of 2.7 percent and well below December 2021’s rate of 3.1 percent. December’s rate represents 63,412 unemployed persons, compared to 63,004 in November and 69,434 in December 2021.

Those who are counted as employed rose over the year by 56,418 to 2,229,259.

“As we close out our economic reporting for 2022, I’m pleased to say that Alabama has recovered well from the pandemic and has maintained positive momentum throughout the year,” Ivey said. “We broke records all year long, reminding everyone that Alabama is the best place to live, to work and open a business. Our wages are up, jobs are plentiful and still growing and we’re seeing some of our highest employment in major sectors in more than a decade. I couldn’t be more proud of the progress we’ve made.”

Throughout 2022, wage and salary employment increased 55,900, to 2,120,500, a new record high. There were gains in the education and health services sector, the professional and business services sector and the government sector, among others.

Compared to November 2022, wage and salary employment increased in December by 300. Monthly gains were seen in the trade, transportation and utilities sector, the government sector and the construction sector, among others.

“Our economy is supporting more jobs than ever before, with the addition of nearly 56,000 jobs since last year,” said Fitzgerald Washington,  Alabama Department of Labor secretary. “This represents over-the-year job growth of 2.7 percent, which, excluding immediate pandemic recovery, is one of the highest job growth rates in more than 20 years. Also, we’ve got record high employment in the trade, transportation and utilities sector and more people are working in the manufacturing and construction sectors since 2008.”

Counties with the lowest unemployment rates include Shelby County at 1.5 percent, Cullman County at 1.6 percent and Morgan and Marshall counties at 1.7 percent. Counties with the highest unemployment rates are: Wilcox County at 9.1 percent, Clarke County at 6.6 percent and Dallas County at 5.3 percent.

Major cities with the lowest unemployment rates are: Vestavia Hills and Homewood at 1.3 percent, Trussville, Madison, Hoover and Alabaster at 1.4 percent and Athens and Northport at 1.7 percent. Major cities with the highest unemployment rates are: Selma at 6.3 percent, Prichard at 5.2 percent and Bessemer at 3.5 percent.