Record numbers of Alabamians are in the labor force.
According to the Alabama Department of Labor’s May 2019 economic data, Alabama’s unemployment rate from May is 3.7 percent, down from April’s rate of 3.8 percent and lower than May 2018’s rate of 4.1 percent.
May’s 3.7 percent unemployment rate ties with March and February 2019’s rates for the lowest unemployment rate in Alabama history.
The number of people counted as employed in May rose to 2,150,481, another record high. The count represents a yearly increase of 40,720 people.
Overall employment rose to more than 2.1 million people, which shows a yearly gain of 40,720 workers.
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey said her administration has sought ways to make the state more business-friendly and attractive to world-class industry since she first entered office.
“Alabama is breaking record after record,” Ivey said. “I am proud of the footing we are making; however, we will not tire our efforts. It remains our goal to ensure every Alabamian who wants a job can get a job.”
Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington said that Alabama’s economy is supporting more jobs than ever before.
“We’ve been consistently posting positive economic news, and this month is more of the same,” Washington said. “More people are working, employers are hiring, and we’ve once again dropped to a record low unemployment rate.”
Each of Alabama’s 67 counties saw their unemployment rates drop.
Shelby County was shown to have Alabama’s lowest unemployment rate at 2.1 percent, followed by Marshall County at 2.3 percent and Morgan and Elmore Counties at 2.4 percent.
Wilcox County has the state’s highest jobless rate at 6.6 percent, followed by Greene County at 5.7 percent and Lowndes County at 5.6 percent.
