12.5 percent of residents jobless

By Staff
Jonathan Willis
Franklin County's unemployment rate continues to rise above the state average/
Numbers released by the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations Friday show that 1,612 county residents are without a job. That number represents 12.5 percent of the county's available work force.
Alabama Department of Industrial Relations Director Tom Surtees announced Friday that Alabama's unemployment rate for August rose to 10.4 percent, which is up from 10.2 percent in July.
August's rate represents 217,306 unemployed persons. Wage and salary employment
decreased by 11,100 over the month. Most of the monthly downturn occurred in the
sectors of hospitality and leisure, financial activities, trade, transportation, and utilities,
and construction. Monthly gains occurred in the educational and health services sector,
and the professional and business services sector.
"While every state in the country continues to struggle with high unemployment, I want
the unemployed in Alabama to know that there is help available to them," said Surtees.
"There are many unemployment compensation extension programs and even more job
training programs available. I'd like to encourage those who need help to take advantage
of these opportunities."
Over the past several months, Congress has passed two unemployment compensation
benefit extensions, and last month, Gov. Riley signed a law entitling qualified
unemployed Alabamians to up to an additional 20 weeks of unemployment compensation
benefits. This means that Alabamians are now eligible for up to 79 weeks of
unemployment compensation benefits.
Claimants can file for unemployment compensation benefits online at
The Alabama Career Center System also provides services free of charge to the
unemployed and underemployed, as well as to employers. Career counseling, job search
assistance, and training assistance are only some of the programs available at any of
Alabama's 43 Career Centers.
The counties with the lowest unemployment rate were Shelby and Madison at 7.6 percent, Coffee at 8.5 percent and Baldwin and Lee at 8.7 percent. The counties with the highest unemployment rate were Wilcox at 25.4 percent, Dallas at 21.3 percent and Conecuh at 19.9 percent.
Franklin County's unemployment numbers are in the middle of the curve when it comes to northwest Alabama counties.
The percentage of unemployed northwest Alabama is as follows: Lauderdale County at 10.8 percent, Colbert County at 11.6 percent, Lawrence County at 13.6 percent, Marion at 16.5 percent and Winston at 16.7 percent.