Alabama unemployment rate drops in August

MONTGOMERY, Alabama

Tom Surtees

Alabama's unemployment rate dipped to 9.9 percent in August, down from 10.0 percent in July.
The counties with the lowest unemployment rate, according to Alabama Department of Industrial Relations Director Tom Surtees, were Shelby at 6.8 percent, Coffee at 7.4 percent, and Madison at 8.1 percent.
Counties with the highest unemployment rates were Wilcox at 22.3 percent, Perry at 18.9 percent, and Dallas at 18.7 percent
August's rate, Surtees said, represents 213,412 unemployed people, down from 215,631 in July.
There were 28,000 more jobs statewide in August than there were at the beginning of the year.
Last month, state employment stood at 1,949,824 compared to 1,921,819 in January.