Jobless rate falls to 2.5%

MONTGOMERY — The unemployment rate in Franklin County fell to 2.5% in November, according to the latest figures available after the October figures were not assembled due to the government shutdown.

The November rate, compiled by the Alabama Department of Workforce in cooperation with the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is down from the September rate of 2.8%, according to bureau data. The unemployment rate in November 2024 was 3.3%.

The unemployment rate represents 346 unemployed people in Franklin County in November. That is down from 387 in September and 457 in November 2024.

There were 13,761 employed members of the county, according to the figures. That is up from 13,633 in September and 13,508 in November 2024.

The labor force in the county was comprised of 14,107 in November, which is up from 14,020 in September and 13,965 in November 2025.

Nearby, the Shoals unemployment rate was 2.9% in November. The Shoals MSA includes Colbert and Lauderdale counties.

Broken down by county, the November unemployment rate was 2.8% in Lauderdale County and 3% in Colbert County.

The bureau also provides rates for selected cities, including Florence, where it was 2.9% in November.

Statewide, November’s unemployment rate was 2.7% when seasonally adjusted and 3.3% when not seasonally adjusted. Nationally, the rate was 4.6% when seasonally adjusted and 4% when not seasonally adjusted.

Seasonal adjustment removes “influences of predictable seasonal patterns,” according to the labor bureau. Weather, harvests, holidays and school schedules are among influences it mentions.

Counties and metropolitan areas are not seasonally adjusted.