Covington County's unemployment rate for August | News

Alabama Department of Industrial Relations Director Tom Surtees announced today that Alabama’s preliminary August unemployment rate is 8.5%, up from July’s rate of 8.3%, but below last year’s rate of 9.1%. August’s rate represents 183,315 unemployed persons, compared to 179,189 last month and 198,444 in August 2011.

“While the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased over the previous month, we saw fewer unemployment compensation claims filed during the same time period and continued to see record numbers of job openings posted on Joblink," explains Surtees.  "Also, 63 of 67 counties saw their unemployment rates drop or remain the same this month. These are some positive signs in spite of the increase in the seasonally adjusted rate.”

Counties with the lowest unemployment rates are: Shelby County at 5.8%, Coffee County at 7.1%, Blount County at 7.2%, Limestone County at 7.2%, and Madison County at 7.2%.

Counties with the highest unemployment rates are: Wilcox County at 19.2%, Bullock County at 17.1%, and Dallas County at 16.6%.

In Covington County, the unemployment rate for August was 9%, unchandged from July and down slightly from 9.3% a year ago.

Source:  Alabama Department of Industrial Relations