Alabama jobless rate dips slightly

The number of Alabamians without work dipped slightly as the number of people employed in the state reached its highest point in more than two years. The Alabama Department of Labor says the February jobless rate fell one-tenth of a percent from January to 3%. The rate represents almost sixty nine thousand people without jobs. That’s compared to more than eighty five thousand jobless Alabamians a year earlier. The agency says the total number of people employed in the state increased by 25,456 over the year to just over two million. That's the highest point since January 2020 before the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. One area of Alabama where hiring appears difficult is the Gulf coast tourism sector. A lot of those service workers left during the coronavirus outbreak and haven’t come back. APR Gulf coast correspondent Guy Busby will report this week on Alabama about a high tech answer to link tourism workers to hotels, restaurants, bars, and attractions who need staffers.