County’s jobless claims continue to decline
Franklin County’s jobless claims continue to decline, dropping from January’s high of 9.2 percent to 8.5 percent in February.
That number represents a significant shift from the 10.2 percent reported a year ago.
February’s total reflects 1,124 county residents who filed jobless claims.
The county’s decline mirrors the state numbers which also dropped slightly, moving from a reported 7.8 percent in January down to 7.6 percent in February.
February’s rate represents 162,939 unemployed persons, down from 167,588 last month and 204,496 in February 2011.
Wage and salary employment increased over the month by 13,700.
Increases were realized in the leisure and hospitality industry, the manufacturing industry, the construction industry, and the professional and business services industry.
“Again, we are seeing positive trends in our unemployment rate,” Alabama Department of Industrial Relations Director Tom Surtees said.
“We continue to see our rate drop, and we are realizing job gains in various industries. Also this month, our state’s online jobs database, Joblink Alabama, saw a record breaking 11,000 jobs posted – the most jobs posted in the site’s seven year history.”
Counties with the lowest unemployment rates were: Shelby County at 5.6 percent, Lee County at 6.4 percent and Coffee County at 6.6 percent. Counties with the highest unemployment rates were: Wilcox County at 16.9 percent, Lowndes County at 16 percent and Dallas County at 14.2 percent.
In northwest Alabama, unemployment rates were: Lauderdale County at 7.4 percent, Colbert County at 8.4 percent, Lawrence County at 9.2 percent, Marion County at 9.6 percent and Winston County at 11.1 percent.
Due to the unemployment rate’s steady decline over the past several months, claimants who are currently receiving extended unemployment compensation (UC) benefits will see significant changes in the number of weeks they are eligible to receive benefits.
Alabamians have been eligible to receive UP TO 99 weeks of benefits, through a combination of state funded and federally funded programs.
