Alabama's unemployment rate has declined slightly.
Gov. Robert Bentley announced Friday the 6.9 percent measured in August was down from 7.0 percent in July. But the rate was higher than the 6.5 percent recorded a year ago and it was higher than the national figure of 6.1 percent.
Bentley says the August rate represents about 147,000 unemployed Alabamians. That is down about 1,300 from a month ago.
State Labor Commissioner Fitzgerald Washington says all but two counties saw declines in unemployment in August.
Counties with the highest rates were Wilcox at 16.4 percent; and Dallas and Perry at 14.4 percent. But all three had significant declines from July.
Counties with the lowest rats were Shelby at 5.1 percent; Blount at 5.7 percent; and Cullman, Lee and Baldwin at 5.8 percent.