Counties with the highest unemployment in Alabama
Published 5:41 pm Friday, March 15, 2024
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.
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 January 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County unemployment rates are released about a month behind the national numbers. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.
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 February 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.9%—up slightly from the previous month. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 1.9% in North Dakota to 5.3% in Nevada.
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#50. Lee County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
— 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 82,157 people (2,453 unemployed)
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#49. Tuscaloosa County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
— 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 106,247 people (3,200 unemployed)
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#48. Bibb County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
— 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,777 people (276 unemployed)
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#47. Geneva County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 11,304 people (359 unemployed)
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#46. Baldwin County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 103,652 people (3,309 unemployed)
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#45. Jefferson County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 325,489 people (10,525 unemployed)
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#44. Cherokee County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
— 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 11,959 people (399 unemployed)
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#43. Coffee County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
— 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 21,798 people (712 unemployed)
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#42. Henry County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,088 people (244 unemployed)
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#41. Randolph County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,697 people (329 unemployed)
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#40. Tallapoosa County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 16,995 people (570 unemployed)
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#39. Jackson County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 23,551 people (790 unemployed)
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#38. Crenshaw County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,222 people (217 unemployed)
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#37. Pike County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 16,229 people (570 unemployed)
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#36. Walker County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 25,712 people (905 unemployed)
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#35. Lauderdale County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 43,116 people (1,499 unemployed)
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#34. Chambers County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 16,572 people (597 unemployed)
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#33. Dale County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 21,270 people (758 unemployed)
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#32. Houston County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 48,561 people (1,732 unemployed)
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#31. Montgomery County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 108,226 people (3,890 unemployed)
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#30. Washington County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,112 people (340 unemployed)
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#29. Winston County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,765 people (361 unemployed)
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#28. Talladega County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 36,453 people (1,344 unemployed)
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#27. Coosa County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
— 1-month change: Up 1.0 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,505 people (171 unemployed)
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#26. Calhoun County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
— 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 45,506 people (1,719 unemployed)
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#25. Butler County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Up 1.0 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,975 people (351 unemployed)
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#24. Covington County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 14,815 people (581 unemployed)
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#23. Etowah County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Up 1.0 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 39,380 people (1,523 unemployed)
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#22. Lamar County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
— 1-month change: Up 1.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,830 people (233 unemployed)
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#21. Marengo County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
— 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,619 people (308 unemployed)
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#20. Macon County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
— 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,005 people (324 unemployed)
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#19. Marion County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
— 1-month change: Up 1.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 13,184 people (525 unemployed)
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#18. Russell County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: Up 1.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 23,819 people (972 unemployed)
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#17. Colbert County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 24,043 people (985 unemployed)
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#16. Pickens County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,890 people (329 unemployed)
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#15. Hale County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
— 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,067 people (262 unemployed)
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#14. Fayette County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
— 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,502 people (278 unemployed)
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#13. Escambia County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
— 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 14,534 people (632 unemployed)
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#12. Conecuh County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,243 people (187 unemployed)
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#11. Mobile County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
— 1-month change: Up 1.0 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 191,115 people (8,546 unemployed)
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#10. Sumter County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
— 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,559 people (225 unemployed)
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#9. Choctaw County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
— 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,325 people (222 unemployed)
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#8. Barbour County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,836 people (426 unemployed)
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#7. Monroe County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
— 1-month change: Up 1.0 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,089 people (407 unemployed)
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#6. Lowndes County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.0%
— 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,544 people (212 unemployed)
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#5. Perry County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.8%
— 1-month change: Up 1.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,014 people (206 unemployed)
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#4. Dallas County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.8%
— 1-month change: Up 1.0 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 13,531 people (924 unemployed)
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#3. Clarke County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.1%
— 1-month change: Up 1.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,686 people (549 unemployed)
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#2. Greene County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.3%
— 1-month change: Up 1.0 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 2.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,932 people (214 unemployed)
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#1. Wilcox County
– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 10.5%
— 1-month change: Up 1.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,564 people (268 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
