Alabama unemployment rate sees slight decrease

ALABAMA (WCBI) – Alabama’s unemployment rate is down slightly.

The State Department of Labor says December’s jobless rate is 3.9 percent.

That’s a decrease from the November rate of four percent, but slightly above the rate from a year before of 3.8 percent.

In our area, Pickens County’s jobless rate is the same at 3.9 percent. It was four percent in November

Lamar County saw an increase in the number of people without jobs – 3.8 percent. That number was 3.4 percent in November.

Alabama experienced job growth of a little over two percent during 2018. The largest ever increase over a year.

The number represents an increase of over 44,000 jobs with the largest number of new positions coming in the professional and business services sector.