AL Unemployment Rate Remains Unchanged

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) – Alabama’s unemployment rate remains unchanged even though the state added more than 8,000 jobs.

A statement from the governor’s office released Monday says the state’s unemployment rate for January was 6.2 percent, the same as the month before. Shelby County has Alabama’s lowest jobless rate at 4.5 percent, and Clarke County is highest at 12.4 percent.

The Department of Labor says total state employment rose by 8,178 jobs in January, but that wasn’t enough to change the unemployment rate. Still, the civilian workforce rose to 2.2 million in the state, the highest in seven years.

Alabama is among 14 states where the jobless rate is unchanged. The unemployment rate fell in 28 other states and rose in eight.