The Alabama Department of Labor is out with the State’s latest unemployment report. Communities in the State’s region known as the “Black Belt” are ranked as having the highest number of residents without jobs. However, quarterly figures from the Economic Policy Institute indicate that African American workers in Alabama have had better employment levels than much of the nation.
Wilcox County led the State’s jobless rate in the most recent report at 8.8%, Perry County was next at 7.0%, and Dallas County at 6.2%. Among Alabama cities, Selma’s unemployment rate was listed as highest in Alabama at 7.4%. Counties with the lowest unemployment rates are: Shelby and Morgan Counties at 2.5%, Marshall and Cullman Counties at 2.6%, and St. Clair, Madison, Limestone, and Elmore Counties at 2.7%.
Among African American workers, the Economic Policy Institute says Alabama and Maryland have led the nation currently, and for the thirteen previous quarters. Our State’s quarterly jobless rate, broken down by race, includes 4.5% for black workers, 3.8% for Hispanics, as opposed to 2.5% for Whites. The EPI website says…
Nationally, the Black unemployment rate remains below historic norms, averaging 6% in the first quarter of 2024. Two states—Maryland and Alabama—stand out as consistently having Black unemployment rates below the national average. Among states where Black workers comprise at least 5% of the labor force, the state with the lowest Black unemployment rate has been either Maryland or Alabama for the last 13 quarters (back to 2021 Q1). In fact, these two states have had the lowest and second lowest Black unemployment rates (not always in the same order) for eight of the last nine quarters (from 2022 Q1 to 2023 Q4).
Here in Alabama, a release from the State’s Labor Department announced that Alabama’s labor force participation rate for July held steady at 57.5%. The percentage of prime-age workers increased by one-tenth of a percentage point to 79.3% over the month. Over the year, this number increased by one and a half percentage points from 77.8%. Prime-age workers are those aged 25-54 years.
“ While we all are working to increase our labor force participation rate, the continued growth, especially year over year, in the number of prime age Alabamians who are holding down a job, remains a positive trend in the state’s economy.” said Washington. “All other economic indicators showed improvement this month as well.”
Alabama’s preliminary, seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is 2.8%, down from June 2024’s rate of 2.9%. July’s rate is higher than July 2023’s rate of 2.4%. The rate represents 66,591 unemployed persons, compared to 67,782 in June and 55,583 in July 2023.
The number of people counted as employed increased by 20,156 over the year to a new record high count of 2,273,759. The civilian labor force also increased to a new record high of 2,340,350, with 31,164 more people joining over the year.
Over the year, wage and salary employment grew by 52,500 to 2,211,700, with gains in the private education and health services sector (+13,500), the leisure and hospitality sector (+9,400), and the trade, transportation, and utilities sector (+9,000), among others.
“The labor force continues to increase – by more than 30,000 people in the last year – and those people are getting jobs,” continued Washington. “Our economy added more than 52,000 jobs in the past year, which is great news for Alabama.”
Wilcox County led the State’s jobless rate in the most recent report at 8.8%, Perry County was next at 7.0%, and Dallas County at 6.2%. Among Alabama cities, Selma’s unemployment rate was listed as highest in Alabama at 7.4%. Counties with the lowest unemployment rates are: Shelby and Morgan Counties at 2.5%, Marshall and Cullman Counties at 2.6%, and St. Clair, Madison, Limestone, and Elmore Counties at 2.7%.
Among African American workers, the Economic Policy Institute says Alabama and Maryland have led the nation currently, and for the thirteen previous quarters. Our State’s quarterly jobless rate, broken down by race, includes 4.5% for black workers, 3.8% for Hispanics, as opposed to 2.5% for Whites. The EPI website says…
Nationally, the Black unemployment rate remains below historic norms, averaging 6% in the first quarter of 2024. Two states—Maryland and Alabama—stand out as consistently having Black unemployment rates below the national average. Among states where Black workers comprise at least 5% of the labor force, the state with the lowest Black unemployment rate has been either Maryland or Alabama for the last 13 quarters (back to 2021 Q1). In fact, these two states have had the lowest and second lowest Black unemployment rates (not always in the same order) for eight of the last nine quarters (from 2022 Q1 to 2023 Q4).
Here in Alabama, a release from the State’s Labor Department announced that Alabama’s labor force participation rate for July held steady at 57.5%. The percentage of prime-age workers increased by one-tenth of a percentage point to 79.3% over the month. Over the year, this number increased by one and a half percentage points from 77.8%. Prime-age workers are those aged 25-54 years.
“ While we all are working to increase our labor force participation rate, the continued growth, especially year over year, in the number of prime age Alabamians who are holding down a job, remains a positive trend in the state’s economy.” said Washington. “All other economic indicators showed improvement this month as well.”
Alabama’s preliminary, seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is 2.8%, down from June 2024’s rate of 2.9%. July’s rate is higher than July 2023’s rate of 2.4%. The rate represents 66,591 unemployed persons, compared to 67,782 in June and 55,583 in July 2023.
The number of people counted as employed increased by 20,156 over the year to a new record high count of 2,273,759. The civilian labor force also increased to a new record high of 2,340,350, with 31,164 more people joining over the year.
Over the year, wage and salary employment grew by 52,500 to 2,211,700, with gains in the private education and health services sector (+13,500), the leisure and hospitality sector (+9,400), and the trade, transportation, and utilities sector (+9,000), among others.
“The labor force continues to increase – by more than 30,000 people in the last year – and those people are getting jobs,” continued Washington. “Our economy added more than 52,000 jobs in the past year, which is great news for Alabama.”
