Montgomery, AL – Alabama's unemployment rate rose slightly in December to 9.1 percent.
State Industrial Relations Director Tom Surtees said that's up from 9.0 percent in November, but it's lower than the 10.9 percent recorded a year ago. Surtees said Friday the road coming out of the recession will be bumpy.
December's rate represents nearly 195,000 unemployed people, which is about 2,300 more than November.
The counties with the lowest unemployment rates are: Shelby at 6.7 percent, Coffee at 6.9 percent and Madison at 7.0 percent. The counties with the highest rates are: Wilcox at 20.0 percent, Greene at 18.0 percent and Monroe at 16.0 percent.
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