Alabama jobless rate increases slightly

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) – Alabama’s unemployment rate is up slightly from a month ago.

The state says the May jobless rate was 3.9 percent, up one-tenth of a percent from a month earlier.

That rate is far below the rate of 4.6 percent from a year earlier, but it’s one-tenth of a percent higher than the national unemployment rate.

Despite the increase, the state says wage and salary employment is at a 10-year high. More than 2.04 million people are now working in the state. More workers are available, leading to the slight increase.

Shelby County in metro Birmingham has the state’s lowest unemployment rate at 2.7 percent, followed by Cullman County at 3.1 percent.

Wilcox County in rural western Alabama is worst at 8.9 percent. Greene County is next at 7.2 percent.

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