The Covington County preliminary, seasonalally adjusted unemployment rate fell slightly during the month of October decreasing down to 2.5 percent from the September level of 2.7.
The county’s unemployment rate was slightly up from the previous year in October 2022, when the level reached 2.4 percent.
Alabama’s initial, seasonally adjusted October unemployment rate was as 2.3 percent, a slight increase in comparison to September’s 2.2. This rate is significantly lower than the October 2022 rate that was 2.6 percent. It is 52,196 people, as compared to 50,166 in the month of September and 60,443 for October in 2022.
Nearby counties’ unemployment rates for September are Butler County, 2.8 percent the same as September’s rate; Coffee County, 2.4 percent, a decrease from 2.5 percent. Conecuh County, 3.6 percent unchanged from September; Crenshaw County 2.4 percent. That’s down from the September 2.6 percent. Escambia County 3.1 percent, an increase over September’s 2.9 percent. Geneva County, 2.2 percent lower than September’s 2.4 percent.
Alabama’s participation rate in the labor force remains at 57. The proportion of people who are prime-age was up by one-tenth of a percent to 78.1 percent in the course of the month. Prim-age workers are those between 25-54.
The number of individuals counted as employed grew by 38,038 during the course of the year, reaching the record-breaking 2,260,806. The number of workers employed by the civilian sector has also risen to a new record of 2,313,002, and an additional 29,791 joining the workforce during the course of.
The year-over-year increase in the number of salaried and wage workers was up by 24,700, achieving the record-setting high of 2,163,400. There were also growth in the private education sector and health care sector (+8,700) as well as the government sector (+7,400) and the transportation, trade as well as utilities industry (+5,900) and many more.
The counties that have the lowest rates of unemployment include: Shelby County at 1.8 percent, Morgan, Limestone, Cullman and Chilton counties with 1.9 percent respectively, as well St. Clair, Marshall, Madison, Elmore, Cleburne, Cherokee, Bullock and Blount counties at 2 percent.
The counties that have the highest rates of unemployment include: Wilcox County at 7.8 percent, Dallas County at 5.6 percent along with Clarke as well as Perry counties with 4.6 percent.
Cities with the highest unemployment rates include: Alabaster, Homewood, and Vestavia Hills at 1.6 percent, Hoover, Madison, and Trussville at 1.7 percent along with Athens in 1.8 percent.
Cities with the highest rates of unemployment include: Selma at 6.6 percent, Prichard at 4.8 percent and Bessemer with a rate of 4 percent.
The article Covington County’s unemployment rate falls down to 2.5 per cent in October was first published in The Andalusia Star-News.
