Alabama’s Unemployment Rate Remains at Record Low 2.2%, Jobs Count at New Record High
July 21, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News Release
For Immediate Release: July 21, 2023
Alabama’s Unemployment Rate Remains at Record Low 2.2%
Jobs Count at New Record High
MONTGOMERY – Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington announced today that Alabama’s preliminary, seasonally adjusted June unemployment rate held steady at a record low 2.2%. June’s rate is well below June 2022’s rate of 2.6%. The rate represents 50,427 unemployed persons, a new record low, compared to 51,419 in May and 58,505 in June 2022.
The number of people counted as employed increased by 20,928 over the year to a new record high of 2,253,490. The civilian labor force also reached a new record high of 2,303,917, with 12,850 more people joining over the year.
“I am proud to continue to celebrate the gains we are making month after month with our economic metrics,” said Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington. “The number of jobs our economy is supporting also rose to its highest level ever. This is certainly great news. Employers are continuing to add jobs and more and more people are joining the labor force each month.”
Over the year, wage and salary employment increased by 55,700, reaching a new record high of 2,163,600, with gains in the leisure and hospitality sector (+11,400), the private education and health services sector (+10,000), and the trade, transportation, and utilities sector (+8,400), among others.
Over the month, wage and salary employment grew by 16,900. Monthly gains were seen in the leisure and hospitality sector (+8,300), the trade, transportation, and utilities sector (+2,800), and the manufacturing sector (+2,700), among others.
Counties with the lowest unemployment rates are: Shelby County at 2.0%, Morgan County at 2.1%, and Madison and Cullman Counties at 2.2%. Counties with the highest unemployment rates are: Wilcox County at 7.5%, Perry County at 6.2%, and Dallas County at 5.7%.
Major cities with the lowest unemployment rates are: Trussville and Vestavia Hills at 1.8%, Madison at 1.9%, and Alabaster, Homewood, and Hoover at 2.0%. Major cities with the highest unemployment rates are: Selma at 6.7%, Prichard at 5.6%, and Bessemer at 3.9%.
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Members of the media seeking more information should contact Communications Director Tara Hutchison.
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“Seasonal adjustment” refers to BLS’s practice of anticipating certain trends in the labor force, such as hiring during the holidays or the surge in the labor force when students graduate in the spring, and removing their effects to the civilian labor force.
The Current Population (CPS), or the household survey, is conducted by the Census Bureau and identifies members of the work force and measures how many people are working or looking for work.
The establishment survey, which is conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a division of the U.S. Department of Labor, surveys employers to measure how many jobs are in the economy. This is also referred to as wage and salary employment.
Alabama Department of Labor
649 Monroe Street, Montgomery, AL, 36113
United States
For all inquiries, please contact us at: Tara.Hutchison@labor.alabama.gov
