Unemployment drops in Franklin County

By Alison James

FCT Managing Editor

alison.james@fct.wpengine.com

Ranking at No. 38 in the state, Franklin County’s unemployment rate for April came in at 5.7 percent, according to information released by the Alabama Department of Labor.

That number hovers near the state unemployment rate, which came in at 5.8 percent, up 0.1 percent over March 2015.

“Alabama’s April unemployment rate has some positive numbers about the economy,” Gov. Robert Bentley said. “The number of people in the labor force is up, the number of people employed is up, wage and salary employment is up, and the number of job orders posted on JobLink is up.”

Franklin County’s percentage decreased from March, from 6.6 percent. The April unemployment rate for Franklin County is lower than every adjacent county, with Colbert coming in at 7.1 percent, Lawrence and Winston at 6.7 percent and Marion at 6.6 percent.

Franklin County’s annual average for 2014 was 7.8 percent.

“The better measure of the employment picture in Alabama is reflected in the wage and salary numbers,” Alabama Department of Labor Commissioner Fitzgerald Washington said. “We are continuing to increase the number of jobs our economy supports, getting closer and closer to reaching the two million mark, which is how many jobs the economy supported prior to the recession.”

“Our economic development efforts will continue until every Alabamian who wants a job has the opportunity to find one,” Bentley said.