Jobless rate drops

In October, Franklin County posted an unemployment rate of 6.1 percent. For November, that number dropped to 5.6 percent, according to figures released last week by the Alabama Department of Labor.

The 5.6 percent unemployment rate represents 778 unemployed, as compare to 850 in October. The civilian labor force also decreased, from 13,983 to 13,896.

Statewide, Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington announced that Alabama’s preliminary, seasonally-adjusted November unemployment rate is 5.9 percent, up from October’s rate of 5.7 percent but below November 2015’s rate of 6.2 percent. November’s rate represents 2,065,967 employed persons, up from October’s count of 2,058,443, and significantly higher than November 2015’s count of 2,011,267.

“More people are working now than at any time in 2016,” said Washington. “In fact, more people are working now than since April 2008. Additionally, there are more people in the workforce than there have been in over five years.” According to Washington, this means that “Alabamians have increased confidence in the economy. As for those counted as unemployed, November’s count ranks as one of the lowest five months since 2008.”