By Associated Press
Montgomery, AL – Alabama's unemployment rate is up - it rose in May to 4.7 percent.
State Industrial Relations Director Tom Surtees said the May rate was up from 4.0 percent in April, and it was higher than the 3.5 percent recorded a year ago.
Alabama's rate compared to a national unemployment figure of 5.5 percent.
The state Department of Industrial Relations reported that Alabama counties with the lowest jobless rates were Shelby at 2.7 percent, Madison at 3.1 percent, and both Baldwin and Limestone counties at 3.2 percent.
The counties with the highest rates for May were Wilcox at 13.7 percent, Chambers at 12.6 percent and Perry at 9.4 percent.
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