Counties with the highest unemployment in Alabama
Published 6:18 pm Friday, May 3, 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 March 2024, 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.
Experts have mixed 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 April 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 2% in North Dakota to 5.3% in California.
Read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Alabama.
Tracy Burroughs Brown // Shutterstock
#50. Tuscaloosa County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 108,530 people (3,058 unemployed)
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#49. Bullock County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,435 people (127 unemployed)
Thomas Burks // Shutterstock
#48. Randolph County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,655 people (284 unemployed)
JNix // Shutterstock
#47. Chambers County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 16,742 people (483 unemployed)
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#46. Lee County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 83,668 people (2,391 unemployed)
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#45. Jefferson County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 331,661 people (9,751 unemployed)
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#44. Clay County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,970 people (178 unemployed)
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#43. Bibb County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,916 people (271 unemployed)
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#42. Tallapoosa County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 17,355 people (527 unemployed)
Carl Banks Photography // Shutterstock
#41. Jackson County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
— 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 23,650 people (712 unemployed)
Wayne James // Shutterstock
#40. Lauderdale County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 43,813 people (1,296 unemployed)
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#39. Houston County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
— 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 49,096 people (1,480 unemployed)
JNix // Shutterstock
#38. Washington County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
— 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,124 people (282 unemployed)
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#37. Geneva County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 11,176 people (343 unemployed)
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#36. Winston County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
— 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,807 people (309 unemployed)
JNix // Shutterstock
#35. Pike County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 16,388 people (527 unemployed)
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#34. Dale County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 21,398 people (676 unemployed)
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#33. Walker County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 26,101 people (839 unemployed)
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#32. Talladega County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
— 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 36,929 people (1,169 unemployed)
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#31. Montgomery County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 110,006 people (3,509 unemployed)
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#30. Coosa County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,549 people (152 unemployed)
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#29. Lamar County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,835 people (191 unemployed)
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#28. Crenshaw County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,119 people (199 unemployed)
Jennifer Kinkead McNutt // Shutterstock
#27. Marion County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 13,226 people (430 unemployed)
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#26. Coffee County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 21,892 people (724 unemployed)
Wayne James // Shutterstock
#25. Colbert County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
— 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 24,355 people (801 unemployed)
EWY Media // Shutterstock
#24. Calhoun County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
— 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 46,254 people (1,529 unemployed)
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#23. Henry County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,130 people (248 unemployed)
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#22. Covington County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 14,694 people (519 unemployed)
John H. Davis // Shutterstock
#21. Russell County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 24,021 people (834 unemployed)
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#20. Etowah County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 40,038 people (1,406 unemployed)
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#19. Marengo County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,606 people (275 unemployed)
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#18. Pickens County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,876 people (280 unemployed)
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#17. Butler County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,060 people (322 unemployed)
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#16. Fayette County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,582 people (241 unemployed)
Mccallk69 // Shutterstock
#15. Macon County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,098 people (297 unemployed)
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#14. Escambia County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 14,708 people (538 unemployed)
Leah G Moloney // Shutterstock
#13. Hale County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,932 people (231 unemployed)
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#12. Mobile County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 192,294 people (7,502 unemployed)
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#11. Conecuh County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
— 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,221 people (169 unemployed)
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#10. Sumter County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,556 people (199 unemployed)
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#9. Choctaw County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,292 people (191 unemployed)
Carolyn May Wright // Shutterstock
#8. Lowndes County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
— 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,522 people (169 unemployed)
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#7. Barbour County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,785 people (379 unemployed)
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#6. Monroe County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
— 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,105 people (364 unemployed)
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#5. Clarke County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.6%
— 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,627 people (424 unemployed)
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#4. Dallas County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
— 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 13,501 people (788 unemployed)
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#3. Greene County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,911 people (172 unemployed)
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#2. Perry County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.0%
— 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,919 people (174 unemployed)
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#1. Wilcox County
– February unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.8%
— 1-month change: Down 1.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,476 people (218 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
