Jobless rate continues to fall

The unemployment rate in Franklin County has dropped for the first time in months.

The number of county residents who filed unemployment papers dropped in April to 11.6 percent. That is down from the 12 percent reported in March and equals the numbers released for the same time period last year.

That represents 1,461 residents. Those claiming unemployment benefits in March totaled 1,495.

The county’s numbers slipped closer to the state average, which is now at 11 percent.

Wage and salary employment in Alabama increased 14,200 over the month of April, Alabama Department of Industrial Relations Director Tom Surtees announced Friday.

These employment gains helped Alabama’s April unemployment rate remain unchanged

at 11 percent for the second straight month. April’s rate represents 228,333 unemployed

persons.

“We’ve seen relatively little change in the rate over the past six months,” Surtees said.

“While I am not yet ready to call the leveling out of the unemployment rate a trend, we

are certainly cautiously optimistic that the rise in unemployment has ceased and we’ll

eventually see a decline.”

Most of the upturn resulting from gains in the leisure and hospitality sector, the

construction sector, the professional and business services sector, the government sector,

the manufacturing sector, the educational and health services sector, and the trade,

transportation, and utilities sector.

The counties with the lowest unemployment rates were Madison at 7.6 percent, Shelby at 7.7 percent and Coffee at 7.7 percent.

The counties with the highest unemployment rates were Wilcox at 24.5 percent, Monroe at 20 percent and Dallas at 18.7 percent.

In northwest Alabama, the numbers reported were as follows: Lauderdale at 10 percent, Colbert at 11 percent, Lawrence at 12.4 percent, Marion at 15.2 percent and Winston at 17.3 percent.