As a result of the trend across the state, Covington County saw its unemployment rate fall for April.
As per the Alabama Department of Labor, Covington County’s April rate of 1.9 percent, which is lower than its March average of 2.2 and also from February 2022’s 2 percent rate.
The counties adjacent to them also saw reductions of unemployment. Butler County came in at 2.2 percent, a decrease from 2.3 in March. Coffee County was at 1.7 lower than 1.9; Conecuh County was at 2.2 and lower than 2.6; Crenshaw County was at 1.7 and lower than 1.9; Escambia County was at 2.2 which was lower than 2.5 Geneva County’s rate was recorded at 1.8 during April. It was which was down from the rate in March that was 1.9 percent.
In the state of Texas, unemployment for April was recorded at 2.2 percent. This is less than the March percentage which was 2.3 percent. Also, it was a drop from April 2022, when the rate was 2.5 percent.
April’s figure is 51,462 people who are unemployed setting a new record for the state. It’s a contrast to 53,017 in March, and 57,712 by April 2022.
The rates listed are estimates and are seasonal adjusted.
“Yet time and again, we witness the resilience of our workforce. When Alabama is working, Alabama families thrive and records break time and to time,” stated the Governor Kay Ivey. “We have a rapid-growing economy, and we’re leading the pack in terms of the economic growth. With the lowest rate of unemployment within the Southeast, Alabama is well on its way to have the lowest rate of unemployment in the entire nation. .”
The number of employees working set a record, with 3,367 people added over the course of the month to 2,293,022. Furthermore, the number workers counted as employed surpassed the record-setting high of 2,241,560 with an increase of 4,922 in the course of the month, reaching 2,241,560.
“Continuing this upward trend the employers of Alabama created more than 40,000 jobs during the past year, which was the third highest number of jobs in the history of the state,” said Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington. “Wages continue to hit a new record and have increased by over $30 per week in the last month. More money in the pockets of Alabamans is always a positive idea.”
The year-over-year wages and salaries was up 40,800, to 2,143,700 with increases for the public education sector and health care sector (+8,000) as well as the public sector (+6,300) and the business and professional services sector (+6,100) and many more.
Over the course of the month the employment of wage and salary rose by 7,900 in April. The gains in April were evident in the leisure and tourism sector (+3,800) and the financial services industry (+1,700) as well as the private health and education sectors (+1,300) in addition to other sectors.
The average weekly private earnings hit a new record in April, increasing to $1,023.12 in April, an increase of $31.02 during the month, and an increase of $27.68 over the past year. Additionally, both the transportation, trade and utilities sector, as well as the financial services sector also hit new records for weekly earnings increasing by $835.56 and $1,305.68 and $1,305.68 respectively.
The counties that have the lowest rates of unemployment include: Shelby County at 1.3 percent, Morgan, Marshall, Madison and Cullman counties with 1.4 percent, and St. Clair, Limestone, Lawrence, Elmore and Blount counties with 1.5 percent.
The counties that have the highest rates of unemployment include: Wilcox County at 6 percent; Greene County at 4 percent, as well as Clarke County at 3.7 percent.
The cities that have the lowest unemployment rates include: Alabaster, Madison, Trussville and Vestavia Hills at 1.2 percent; Homewood, Hoover and Northport at 1.3 percent; and Athens at 1.4 percent.
Cities with the highest rates of unemployment include: Selma at 4.5 percent, Prichard at 3.2 percent and Bessemer and Gadsden at 2.5 percent.
The article Covington County’s unemployment rate decreases down to 1.9 percentage in April was first published at The Andalusia Star-News.
