Counties with the highest unemployment in Alabama

While today’s unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.

Experts are mixed in their views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession. The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.

But as of September 2023, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.8%—equal to the previous month, and up about 0.3 percentage points from the same time last year. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 1.6% in Maryland to 5.4% in Nevada.

Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Alabama using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in September 2023, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.

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#50. Cherokee County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.3%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 11,704 people (266 unemployed)

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#49. Lawrence County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.3%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 14,910 people (341 unemployed)

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#48. Chambers County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.3%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 16,080 people (363 unemployed)

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#47. Tuscaloosa County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.3%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 106,114 people (2,438 unemployed)

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#46. Coosa County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,660 people (112 unemployed)

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#45. Bibb County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,749 people (211 unemployed)

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#44. Randolph County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.4%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 9,592 people (234 unemployed)

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#43. Geneva County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.4%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 11,402 people (278 unemployed)

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#42. Franklin County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 14,272 people (346 unemployed)

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#41. Tallapoosa County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.4%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 17,580 people (421 unemployed)

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#40. Jackson County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.4%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 23,347 people (571 unemployed)

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#39. Jefferson County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.4%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 324,100 people (7,934 unemployed)

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#38. Marion County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.5%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 14,338 people (357 unemployed)

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#37. Dale County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 21,280 people (534 unemployed)

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#36. Coffee County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 21,856 people (551 unemployed)

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#35. Lauderdale County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.5%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 43,062 people (1,069 unemployed)

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#34. Houston County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.5%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 48,690 people (1,210 unemployed)

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#33. Crenshaw County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,180 people (161 unemployed)

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#32. Henry County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,125 people (183 unemployed)

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#31. Washington County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,056 people (206 unemployed)

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#30. Pike County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 16,166 people (414 unemployed)

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#29. Russell County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 24,237 people (641 unemployed)

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#28. Walker County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 25,579 people (672 unemployed)

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#27. Talladega County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 37,634 people (983 unemployed)

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#26. Montgomery County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 107,176 people (2,836 unemployed)

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#25. Winston County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,838 people (266 unemployed)

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#24. Covington County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 15,095 people (408 unemployed)

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#23. Lamar County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,831 people (165 unemployed)

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#22. Butler County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,045 people (254 unemployed)

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#21. Colbert County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 23,953 people (681 unemployed)

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#20. Etowah County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 39,336 people (1,090 unemployed)

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#19. Calhoun County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 46,377 people (1,289 unemployed)

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#18. Pickens County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,855 people (231 unemployed)

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#17. Mobile County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 194,179 people (5,556 unemployed)

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#16. Fayette County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,736 people (203 unemployed)

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#15. Marengo County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,556 people (226 unemployed)

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#14. Escambia County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 14,318 people (426 unemployed)

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#13. Macon County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,953 people (245 unemployed)

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#12. Hale County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,061 people (191 unemployed)

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#11. Conecuh County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,264 people (149 unemployed)

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#10. Sumter County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,506 people (160 unemployed)

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#9. Lowndes County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,477 people (137 unemployed)

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#8. Choctaw County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,100 people (161 unemployed)

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#7. Greene County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,777 people (112 unemployed)

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#6. Monroe County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 6,951 people (278 unemployed)

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#5. Barbour County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,015 people (317 unemployed)

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#4. Clarke County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,571 people (341 unemployed)

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#3. Perry County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,943 people (135 unemployed)

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#2. Dallas County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 13,427 people (686 unemployed)

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#1. Wilcox County

– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.4%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,546 people (189 unemployed)

This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.