Alabama Governor Kay Ivey announced that the state’s preliminary, seasonally adjusted January unemployment rate is 2.6%, unchanged from December 2022’s revised rate, and also unchanged from January 2022’s rate. According to the state’s data, January’s rate represents 58,411 unemployed persons compared to 59,986 in December and 60,270 in January 2022.
“I’m proud to kick off 2023 with a continuation of Alabama’s unemployment rate holding steady,”said Ivey. “We have been enjoying a period of low unemployment, high wages, and high jobs count for some time now, and I believe that more is yet to come. We will not back down on our commitment to continue to bring quality, high-paying jobs to Alabama.”
According to Gov. Ivey’s press release, annual wage and salary employment increased 54,100, including more than 10,000 new jobs the manufacturing sector, approximately 8,700 in the professional and business services sector, and approximately 7,500 in the private education and health services sector among others.
“Additionally, we’re continuing to see positive increases in our wages, meaning more money in Alabamians’ pockets,” said Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington. “This month, we reached one of our highest average weekly wages in history.”
According to Alabama Dept. of Labor, total private wages increased by $30.12/weekly over the year to $1,008.61 in January, marking the third highest weekly wages in history.
Counties with the lowest unemployment rates are: Shelby County at 1.8 percent, Morgan County at 2.0 percent, and Marshall, Madison, Limestone and Cullman Counties at 2.1 percent.
Counties with the highest unemployment rates are: Wilcox County at 8.8 percent, Clarke County at 5.9 percent and Dallas County at 5.4 percent.
Major cities with the lowest unemployment rates are: Homewood at 1.6 percent, Madison at 1.7 percent and Alabaster, Trussville and Vestavia Hills at 1.8 percent.
Major cities with the highest unemployment rates are: Selma at 6.4 percent, Prichard at 5.2 percent and Bessemer at 4.2 percent.
Since 2004, O’Hern has worked with political campaigns in roles ranging from major projects involving nationwide digital marketing for U.S. Presidential candidates, U.S. Congressmen, state governors, and state representatives. O’Hern’s journalism background includes news reporting and editing for various organizations and news publications in Alabama and Florida since 2002. O’Hern graduated from Samford University in Birmingham, Ala with a degree in journalism and a minor in political science.