Alabama's unemployment rate up slightly from June - WSFA.com: News Weather and Sports for Montgomery, AL.

Alabama's unemployment rate up slightly from June

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The following is a news release from the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations:

Alabama Department of Industrial Relations Director Tom Surtees announced today that Alabama's preliminary June unemployment rate is 7.8%, up from May's rate of 7.4%. The rate is significantly lower than June 2011's rate of 9.3%.

The rate represents 168,775 unemployed persons, compared to 159,192 last month and 203,875 in June 2011. 1,993,151 persons were employed, compared to 1,989,182 last month and 1,995,022 in June 2011.

"Just as with last month, we are experiencing an expected, seasonal increase in the labor force," said Surtees. "People looking for summer work as well as teachers and education employees who are not working over the summer are entering the job market. Since the unemployment rate is simply the percentage of people in the labor force who are not working, this increase will inevitably raise the unemployment rate."

Although the unemployment rate did increase, unemployment claims continue to fall. Initial unemployment compensation claims are down by 20% from a year ago, and the amount paid in claims is down by 21.5%.

Alabama's online jobs database, www.joblink.alabama.gov, is consistently registering more jobs than at any time in the site's history, even eclipsing the spikes created by temporary jobs following the Gulf Oil Spill in 2010 and the April 2011 tornadoes. In June, JobLink saw a record breaking 15,690 jobs available.

"We are seeing jobs, especially on JobLink," continued Surtees. "I'd like to encourage anyone seeking employment to take a few minutes and register on the site. The staff at our Career Centers throughout the state can also assist in the search for employment."

A listing of available jobs, along with a listing of local Career Centers can be found at www.joblink.alabama.gov.

Counties with the lowest unemployment rates are: Shelby County at 6.1%, Coffee County at 7.3%, and Limestone County at 7.4%. Counties with the highest unemployment rates are: Wilcox County at 18.8%, Lowndes County at 16.5%, and Dallas County at 16.3%.