Six Months of Employment Improvement

By Glenn Collins
Monday, July 19, 2010 | 3:07 PM
https://hbtv.us/news/?story_id=374

MONTGOMERY -- The unemployment rate in Winston County continued its year-long improvement falling to 15.8% for June, down from May's 16.1% and last year's June rate of 16.9%. The statewide rate also fell, to 10.3% from 10.7%. June’s statewide rate marks the first time since August 2007 that the seasonally adjusted rate is not
higher than the previous year’s rate. Last month's 16.1% was the first time Winston's rate dropped below last year's annual county average, 16.3%.

“This is the first significant drop in our unemployment rate that we’ve experienced for some time,” said Alabama Department of Industrial Relations Director Tom Surtees. “We are certainly glad to see it. However, the more than 200,000 unemployed Alabamians probably don’t feel this way. I’d like to encourage those who are unemployed to visit one of our Career Centers across the state to receive assistance in finding a new job or receiving technical or educational training.”

Area counties and their June rates (May rates in parentheses): Cullman 9.5% (9.4%), Fayette 14.0% (12.2%), Franklin 10.8% (10.7%), Lawrence 11.7% (11.8%), Marion 13.8% (14.3%), Morgan 10.1% (10.1%), Walker 11.2% (11.1%).

The counties with the lowest unemployment rates were: Shelby at 7.7%, Madison at 7.9%, and Coffee at 8.1%. The counties with the highest unemployment rates were:
Wilcox at 23.6%, Dallas at 18.5%, and Perry at 18.3%.