Unemployment rises in July
Unemployment rates for the month of June were recently released and showed Franklin County had an increase in unemployment from June to July.
Franklin County’s unemployment rate rose to 9.4 percent in July, which was an increase from June’s rate of 8.5 percent.
That total represents 1,201 local residents who are reported to be unemployed, which is up from 1,089 people the previous month. It’s also 172 more people than it was at the same time last year.
Statewide, the unemployment rate was reported to be on the rise as well.
Gov. Robert Bentley on Friday announced Alabama’s preliminary, seasonally adjusted July unemployment rate is 7.0 percent, which is up from June’s state-wide unemployment rate of 6.8 percent.
June’s rate represents 148,791 unemployed persons, compared to 144,868 in June, an increase of 3,923 persons.
Wage and salary employment increased by 19,400 over the year. Yearly gains were seen in the leisure and hospitality sector (+7,800), the manufacturing sector (+5,700), the education and health services sector (+5,000), and the professional and business services sector (+3,300).
Over the month, wage and salary employment gains were seen in the construction sector (+2,600), the leisure and hospitality sector (+1,500), the trade, transportation, and utilities sector (+1,400), and the manufacturing sector (+1,200), among others.
“An increase of nearly 20,000 jobs since last July is something that we are proud of,” Bentley said.
“A large number of those jobs are the manufacturing sector, which tend to be higher paying jobs. Additionally, we continue to see tens of thousands of jobs being advertised throughout the state, which means employers are hiring. Our efforts will continue until every Alabamian who wants a job has the opportunity to have a job.”
JobLink, the state’s online free jobs database (www.joblink.alabama.gov), registered more than 20,000 job postings in July. The Help Wanted Online (HWOL) data showed 53,321 total job ads were placed online in Alabama. The most advertised careers are: truck drivers, retail supervisors, and registered nurses.
“It is not uncommon in the summer months to see the unemployment rate rise because school employees aren’t working during these months,” Alabama Department of Labor Commissioner Fitzgerald Washington said.
“This is proven out in our wage and salary data this month, which shows the largest decrease in jobs came from the local education sector.”
Counties with the lowest unemployment rates are: Shelby County at 5.3 percent, Baldwin County at 6.1 percent, and Lee County at 6.2 percent.
Counties with the highest unemployment rates are: Wilcox County at 18.4 percent, Dallas County at 16.3 percent, and Perry County at 15.7 percent.
In northwest Alabama, the reported unemployment totals are: Lauderdale County at 7.9 percent, Colbert County at 9.3 percent, Lawrence County at 9.8 percent, Marion County at 10.0 percent and Winston County at 10.0 percent.
