Montgomery, AL – Alabama's unemployment rate has declined for the ninth straight month to 7.2 percent for April.
That's down from a revised March rate of 7.4 percent. Gov. Robert Bentley said Friday that Alabama's rate hasn't been this low since November 2008. Alabama's rate has been declining each month since hitting 10 percent in July. The state's rate was below the national rate of 8.1 percent.
State Industrial Relations Director Tom Surtees said hiring in the automotive and tourism sectors have helped reduce the state's unemployment rate.
Counties with the lowest unemployment rates are Shelby at 4.6 percent; Coffee at 5.3 percent; and Lee and Limestone at 5.6 percent.
Counties with the highest rates are Wilcox at 15.1 percent; Lowndes at 13.1 percent; and Dallas at 12.2 percent.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)