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New data shows Talladega County unemployment lowest in over a decade

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MONTGOMERY, Ala. – On Friday, June 16, Governor Kay Ivey, along with Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington, announced  Alabama’s preliminary, seasonally adjusted May unemployment rate.

May’s rate of 4.9%  is down from April’s rate of 5.4%, and significantly lower than May 2016’s rate of 5.8%.  May’s rate represents 107,364 unemployed persons, compared to 119,113 in April and 125,153 in May 2016.  May’s rate represents 2,089,217 employed Alabamians, compared to 2,088,764 in April and 2,038,912 in May 2016.

“Over the past three months, our unemployment rate has fallen by an impressive 1.3 percentage points.  May’s figures represent the lowest unemployment rate in more than nine years and more people working now than in the last ten years,” Governor Ivey said. “It is a team effort, and I sure am proud this rate decrease occurred during my first full month in office. We will continue to exhaust every effort and explore every opportunity until every Alabamian who wants a job, has a job.”

The last time Alabama’s unemployment rate was at or below 4.9% was March 2008 when it measured 4.8%. The last time Current Population Survey (CPS) employment measured at or above 2,089,217 was March 2007, when it was 2,090,126.

“Fifty thousand more people have jobs now than they did last year,” Secretary Washington said.  “Increased confidence in our economy is evidenced by not only that fact, but also that our employers are reporting the highest wage and salary employment numbers in almost a decade.  In fact, this is the fourth highest wage and salary employment count since we started keeping records in 1939.”

The 4.9% rate is an average of the state. So how did Talladega County fair in the latest rankings?

According to statistics from the Alabama Department of Labor, Talladega County came in just under the state’s average at 4.8% unemployment for the month of May 2017.

This is the lowest rate for the county in over a decade, and down from the 5% rate from April 2017 and 6% rate from May 2016.

Talladega county’s rate for the month of May 2107 represents 1,642 unemployed persons compared to 1,729 for April  2017, and 2,067 for May  2016. The 4.8% rate left Talladega County sitting right at the average. Counties with the lowest unemployment rates are Shelby County at 3.1%, Elmore County at 3.4%, and Cullman County at 3.5%.  Counties with the highest unemployment rates are Wilcox County at 10.9%, Clarke County at 8.0%, and Lowndes County at 7.4%.

According to Gov. Ivey, wage and salary employment, totaling 2,014,600, increased in May by 13,100 for the state. Monthly gains were seen in the leisure and hospitality sector (+6,100), the construction sector (+3,100), and the manufacturing sector (+1,500), among others.

The only other times wage and salary employment surpassed 2,014,600 were in December 2007 (2,026,700), November 2007 (2,022,000), and June 2007 (2,018,400).

Jeremy Law for SylacaugaNews.com | © 2017, SylacaugaNews.com/Marble City Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.


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