Alabama Unemployment Rate On The Rise

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) – Alabama’s unemployment rate is on the rise again, but just a little.

The state jobless rate announced Friday for July was 6.2 percent. That’s one-tenth of a percent higher than the rate for May and June.

Last month’s rate is better than the rate one year ago, when Alabama unemployment was 7 percent.

State Labor Commissioner Fitzgerald Washington says last month’s jobless rate was virtually unchanged from June because of seasonal effects.

A statement from Washington says stagnant or increasing unemployment isn’t unusual when school employees are out of work during the summer.

Shelby County in metro Birmingham has the state’s lowest unemployment rate at 4.6 percent. Wilcox County in southwestern Alabama is worst with a jobless rate of 16.2 percent.