The Alabama Department of Labor (ADOL) on Friday announced that the state’s unemployment rate of 3.1% remained unchanged from October to November.
The current unemployment rate sits 1.6% lower than that of the same time last year, which was 4.7% in November 2020.
ADOL Secretary Fitzgerald Washington indicated that the state’s unemployment numbers were a net positive given that COVID-19 continues to negatively affect other portions of the economy.
“Alabama is continuing to hold steady in regard to unemployment. We’re fortunate to not see large shifts in these numbers, even as other economic factors continue to experience pandemic related volatility,” advised Washington. “In November, more people joined the labor force, more people started working, and yet again, we recorded a new record high jobs count for 2021.”
According to ADOL, the state’s civilian labor force increased by 6,474 last month. The number of those counted as employed rose 5,661. The total number of unemployed individuals sits at 68,673, compared to 67,860 in October.
Glad to share another great employment update for Alabama! #alpolitics https://t.co/XhSD2MFE3C
— Governor Kay Ivey (@GovernorKayIvey) December 17, 2021
Over the year, ADOL stated that wage and salary employment increased by 48,300. Economic sectors leading the gains were leisure and hospitality, trade, transportation, and utilities, as well as education and health services.
Washington added, “We also continue to see wage growth in many of our sectors. For example, the leisure and hospitality sector, which arguably was affected the most by the pandemic, has seen its wages hit a new record high in November, rising $44.99 weekly since November 2020. In general, wages are up $31.70 a week over the year.”
Weekly wages in the leisure and hospitality sector rose to $401.66, which represents a new record high in November.
ADOL advised that total private average weekly earnings rose $31.70 over the year to $975.39.
Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL
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