Alabama’s Unemployment Rate Falls to 6.0%

Wage and Salary Employment at the Highest Level in 2015

MONTGOMERY—Governor Robert Bentley on Friday announced that Alabama’s preliminary, seasonally adjusted September unemployment rate is 6.0%, down from August’s rate of 6.2%, and below August 2014’s rate of 6.3%.

“We are extremely pleased to see a decrease in our unemployment rate this month,” Governor Bentley said.  “We are seeing steady improvement, especially in our wage and salary employment.  Our economy is supporting more jobs than it has all year.  Just this week, we have announced 470 new future jobs for two Alabama communities. Our efforts will continue until Alabama reaches full employment.”

Wage and salary employment in September measured 1,958,800, which is the highest figure in 2015.  The last time wage and salary employment was 1,958,800 or higher in September was 2008, when it totaled 1,992,200.

Wage and salary employment in September increased by10,000.  Monthly gains were seen in the government sector (+7,400), the professional and business services sector (+1,700), and the education and health services sector (+1,400), among others.

Over the year, wage and salary employment increased 28,600, with gains in the leisure and hospitality sector (+6,600), the education and health services sector (+6,000), and the construction sector (+4,400), among others.

“Every county in Alabama experienced a decrease in their unemployment rates this month,” Alabama Department of Labor Commissioner Fitzgerald Washington said.  “We have not seen this many jobs in September since 2008. The increase in wage and salary employment increase is proof that Governor’s Bentley’s efforts are working to get Alabama back to work.”

Counties with the lowest unemployment rates are: Shelby County at 4.1%, Lee County at 4.8%, and Elmore and Cullman Counties at 5.0%.

Unemployment Rate by County, September 2015

September 2015 Map

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“Seasonal adjustment” refers to BLS’s practice of anticipating certain trends in the labor force, such as hiring during the holidays or the surge in the labor force when students graduate in the spring, and removing their effects to the civilian labor force. 

The Current Population (CPS), or the household survey, is conducted by the Census Bureau and identifies members of the work force and measures how many people are working or looking for work.

The establishment survey, which is conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a division of the U.S. Department of Labor, surveys employers to measure how many jobs are in the economy.  This is also referred to as wage and salary employment.