Alabama's unemployment rate has dropped to 6.3 percent, but it remains above the national average.
Gov. Robert Bentley announced Friday that Alabama's rate declined from 6.6 percent in September to 6.3 percent in October. That's the same rate Alabama recorded a year ago. The October rate is higher than the national figure of 5.8 percent.
Bentley says Alabama is seeing healthy growth in jobs and is seeing a decline in the amount of unemployment benefits being paid.
Counties with the lowest unemployment rates are Shelby at 4.1 percent, Lee at 4.6 percent and Cullman, Cherokee and Blount tied at 4.7 percent. Counties with the highest rates are Wilcox at 12.9 percent, Bullock and Lowndes at 12.1 percent, and Dallas at 11.2 percent.
