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Counties with the highest unemployment in Alabama

Unemployment rates, while significantly lower than the alarming pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, remain a subject of concern, though experts’ views on a potential recession are mixed. The last economic recession—the Great Recession of 2007-2009—sent rates up to 10% as of October 2009. It was not until the spring of 2019 that unemployment finally went down to the same level it sits at now.

As of April 2023, national unemployment is at 3.4%, with little change from March. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 1.9% in South Dakota to 5.4% in Nevada.

Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Alabama using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in March 2023, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain.

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#50. Tuscaloosa County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.8%
— 1 month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 105,643 people (1,933 unemployed)

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#49. Crenshaw County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.9%
— 1 month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,619 people (109 unemployed)

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#48. Cleburne County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.9%
— 1 month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,968 people (112 unemployed)

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#47. Clay County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.9%
— 1 month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,998 people (116 unemployed)

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#46. Henry County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.9%
— 1 month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,992 people (130 unemployed)

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#45. Randolph County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.9%
— 1 month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,491 people (182 unemployed)

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#44. Geneva County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.9%
— 1 month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 10,984 people (204 unemployed)

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#43. Franklin County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.9%
— 1 month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 14,571 people (281 unemployed)

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#42. Dale County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.9%
— 1 month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 20,814 people (400 unemployed)

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#41. Coffee County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.9%
— 1 month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 21,274 people (407 unemployed)

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#40. Jackson County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.9%
— 1 month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 22,814 people (444 unemployed)

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#39. Russell County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.9%
— 1 month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 24,168 people (463 unemployed)

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#38. Lauderdale County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.9%
— 1 month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 42,892 people (817 unemployed)

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#37. Houston County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.9%
— 1 month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 48,513 people (932 unemployed)

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#36. Jefferson County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.9%
— 1 month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 323,474 people (6,163 unemployed)

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#35. Bullock County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 2%
— 1 month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,240 people (83 unemployed)

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#34. Coosa County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 2%
— 1 month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,476 people (88 unemployed)

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#33. Fayette County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 2%
— 1 month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,513 people (131 unemployed)

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#32. Winston County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 2%
— 1 month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 10,183 people (205 unemployed)

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#31. Cherokee County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 2%
— 1 month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 11,602 people (227 unemployed)

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#30. Tallapoosa County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 2%
— 1 month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 17,106 people (338 unemployed)

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#29. Lamar County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.1%
— 1 month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,632 people (117 unemployed)

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#28. Pike County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.1%
— 1 month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 16,099 people (339 unemployed)

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#27. Walker County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.1%
— 1 month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 25,415 people (532 unemployed)

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#26. Calhoun County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.1%
— 1 month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 46,406 people (961 unemployed)

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#25. Marion County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.2%
— 1 month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
— 1 year change: No change
– Total labor force: 13,703 people (305 unemployed)

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#24. Covington County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.2%
— 1 month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 14,464 people (323 unemployed)

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#23. Colbert County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.2%
— 1 month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 23,842 people (524 unemployed)

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#22. Talladega County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.2%
— 1 month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 37,083 people (802 unemployed)

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#21. Etowah County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.2%
— 1 month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 38,999 people (852 unemployed)

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#20. Montgomery County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.3%
— 1 month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 107,782 people (2,494 unemployed)

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#19. Pickens County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.4%
— 1 month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,640 people (186 unemployed)

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#18. Butler County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.4%
— 1 month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,711 people (210 unemployed)

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#17. Mobile County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.4%
— 1 month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 193,190 people (4,624 unemployed)

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#16. Escambia County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.5%
— 1 month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 14,221 people (358 unemployed)

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#15. Sumter County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
— 1 month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,513 people (117 unemployed)

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#14. Washington County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
— 1 month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,472 people (170 unemployed)

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#13. Conecuh County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
— 1 month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,096 people (109 unemployed)

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#12. Hale County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
— 1 month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,738 people (156 unemployed)

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#11. Marengo County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
— 1 month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,513 people (200 unemployed)

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#10. Macon County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
— 1 month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,809 people (214 unemployed)

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#9. Choctaw County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
— 1 month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,134 people (127 unemployed)

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#8. Monroe County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1 month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,086 people (240 unemployed)

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#7. Barbour County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1 month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,043 people (280 unemployed)

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#6. Lowndes County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1 month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 1.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,436 people (125 unemployed)

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#5. Perry County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
— 1 month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,865 people (116 unemployed)

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#4. Clarke County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1 month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,571 people (314 unemployed)

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#3. Dallas County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1 month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 13,249 people (547 unemployed)

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#2. Greene County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
— 1 month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
— 1 year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,743 people (121 unemployed)

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#1. Wilcox County

– March unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.9%
— 1 month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
— 1 year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,423 people (168 unemployed)