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The Alabama Department of Labor reports that the jobless rate dropped last month to 3.1 percent following July’s rate of 3.2 percent. The unemployment rate in Alabama this time last year was 7.2 percent.
Alabama continues to fall below the national jobless rate. The U.S. jobless rate last month was 5.2 percent. The state is ranked seventh in the country for lowest jobless rate, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. It is also the state with the lowest jobless rate in the Southeast.
Average wages also increased in the state. Average weekly earnings rose to $993 last month versus July’s $980. The average wages earned last August was only $942. State Governor Kay Ivey said residents continue their streak of fighting unemployment. She said employers have found the need for jobs and employees have filled them efficiently.