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Counties with the highest unemployment rate in Alabama

Unemployment rates, while significantly lower than the alarming pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, remain a subject of concern, notably as economic experts bandy around the idea of a potential recession by 2023. The last economic recession—the Great Recession of 2008-2010—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 May of this year, national unemployment is at 3.6%—as it was in both March and April, marking a three-month stagnation—following a steady drop since that aforementioned COVID-affected peak. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 1.9% in Nebraska, to 5.1% in New Mexico and 5.7% in the District of Columbia. Further breakdown by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows yet another county-based spectrum within each state.

To that end, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rate in Alabama using data from the BLS. Counties are ranked by unemployment rate in May 2022, which as of this writing is the most current Bureau data.

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#50. Baldwin County

– Current unemployment rate: 2.2%
— 1 month change: +0.4%
— 1 year change: -0.6%
– Total labor force: 101,920 (2197 unemployed)

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#49. Bibb County

– Current unemployment rate: 2.2%
— 1 month change: +0.3%
— 1 year change: -1.4%
– Total labor force: 8,759 (196 unemployed)

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#48. Cleburne County

– Current unemployment rate: 2.2%
— 1 month change: +0.5%
— 1 year change: -0.4%
– Total labor force: 6,000 (133 unemployed)

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#47. Coffee County

– Current unemployment rate: 2.2%
— 1 month change: +0.3%
— 1 year change: -0.4%
– Total labor force: 21,549 (484 unemployed)

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#46. Coosa County

– Current unemployment rate: 2.2%
— 1 month change: +0.4%
— 1 year change: -0.7%
– Total labor force: 4,406 (98 unemployed)

Wmr36104 // Wikimedia Commons

#45. Geneva County

– Current unemployment rate: 2.2%
— 1 month change: +0.4%
— 1 year change: -0.5%
– Total labor force: 11,018 (245 unemployed)

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#44. Lawrence County

– Current unemployment rate: 2.2%
— 1 month change: +0.3%
— 1 year change: -0.6%
– Total labor force: 14,592 (320 unemployed)

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#43. Randolph County

– Current unemployment rate: 2.2%
— 1 month change: +0.4%
— 1 year change: -0.4%
– Total labor force: 9,627 (213 unemployed)

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#42. Russell County

– Current unemployment rate: 2.2%
— 1 month change: +0.3%
— 1 year change: -0.7%
– Total labor force: 23,977 (531 unemployed)

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#41. Winston County

– Current unemployment rate: 2.2%
— 1 month change: +0.4%
— 1 year change: -0.3%
– Total labor force: 10,272 (225 unemployed)

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#40. Covington County

– Current unemployment rate: 2.3%
— 1 month change: +0.4%
— 1 year change: -0.6%
– Total labor force: 15,172 (350 unemployed)

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#39. Crenshaw County

– Current unemployment rate: 2.3%
— 1 month change: +0.3%
— 1 year change: -0.8%
– Total labor force: 5,889 (136 unemployed)

Myself – Nathon Morris // Wikimedia Commons

#38. Lamar County

– Current unemployment rate: 2.3%
— 1 month change: +0.3%
— 1 year change: -0.5%
– Total labor force: 5,666 (132 unemployed)

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#37. Chambers County

– Current unemployment rate: 2.4%
— 1 month change: +0.4%
— 1 year change: -1.3%
– Total labor force: 15,908 (379 unemployed)

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#36. Dale County

– Current unemployment rate: 2.4%
— 1 month change: +0.4%
— 1 year change: -0.6%
– Total labor force: 20,939 (504 unemployed)

Carol M. Highsmith/Library of Congress // Wikimedia Commons

#35. Houston County

– Current unemployment rate: 2.4%
— 1 month change: +0.4%
— 1 year change: -0.9%
– Total labor force: 47,658 (1140 unemployed)

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#34. Jackson County

– Current unemployment rate: 2.4%
— 1 month change: +0.5%
— 1 year change: -0.4%
– Total labor force: 23,365 (561 unemployed)

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#33. Jefferson County

– Current unemployment rate: 2.4%
— 1 month change: +0.3%
— 1 year change: -1.1%
– Total labor force: 325,961 (7890 unemployed)

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#32. Lauderdale County

– Current unemployment rate: 2.4%
— 1 month change: +0.4%
— 1 year change: -0.7%
– Total labor force: 42,832 (1046 unemployed)

Kreeder13 // Wikimedia Commons

#31. Pike County

– Current unemployment rate: 2.4%
— 1 month change: +0.4%
— 1 year change: -0.6%
– Total labor force: 16,373 (387 unemployed)

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#30. Tuscaloosa County

– Current unemployment rate: 2.4%
— 1 month change: +0.4%
— 1 year change: -1.3%
– Total labor force: 103,828 (2505 unemployed)

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#29. Fayette County

– Current unemployment rate: 2.5%
— 1 month change: +0.3%
— 1 year change: -0.3%
– Total labor force: 6,745 (168 unemployed)

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#28. Henry County

– Current unemployment rate: 2.5%
— 1 month change: +0.4%
— 1 year change: -0.7%
– Total labor force: 6,968 (173 unemployed)

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#27. Walker County

– Current unemployment rate: 2.5%
— 1 month change: +0.3%
— 1 year change: -0.9%
– Total labor force: 25,744 (651 unemployed)

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#26. Escambia County

– Current unemployment rate: 2.6%
— 1 month change: +0.3%
— 1 year change: -1.5%
– Total labor force: 14,088 (373 unemployed)

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#25. Bullock County

– Current unemployment rate: 2.7%
— 1 month change: +0.4%
— 1 year change: -1.2%
– Total labor force: 4,473 (123 unemployed)

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#24. Tallapoosa County

– Current unemployment rate: 2.7%
— 1 month change: +0.3%
— 1 year change: -1.2%
– Total labor force: 17,966 (485 unemployed)

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#23. Calhoun County

– Current unemployment rate: 2.9%
— 1 month change: +0.4%
— 1 year change: -1.1%
– Total labor force: 46,610 (1345 unemployed)

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#22. Colbert County

– Current unemployment rate: 2.9%
— 1 month change: +0.5%
— 1 year change: -1.1%
– Total labor force: 23,781 (698 unemployed)

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#21. Etowah County

– Current unemployment rate: 2.9%
— 1 month change: +0.4%
— 1 year change: -1.1%
– Total labor force: 39,667 (1141 unemployed)

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#20. Marengo County

– Current unemployment rate: 2.9%
— 1 month change: +0.3%
— 1 year change: -1.0%
– Total labor force: 7,631 (224 unemployed)

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#19. Talladega County

– Current unemployment rate: 2.9%
— 1 month change: +0.3%
— 1 year change: -1.0%
– Total labor force: 36,255 (1057 unemployed)

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#18. Pickens County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.0%
— 1 month change: +0.4%
— 1 year change: -1.0%
– Total labor force: 7,603 (226 unemployed)

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#17. Montgomery County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.1%
— 1 month change: +0.4%
— 1 year change: -1.7%
– Total labor force: 107,972 (3315 unemployed)

Altairisfar // Wikicommons

#16. Mobile County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.2%
— 1 month change: +0.4%
— 1 year change: -1.5%
– Total labor force: 192,460 (6131 unemployed)

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#15. Conecuh County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.3%
— 1 month change: +0.4%
— 1 year change: -1.5%
– Total labor force: 4,259 (140 unemployed)

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#14. Sumter County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.4%
— 1 month change: +0.7%
— 1 year change: -0.8%
– Total labor force: 4,504 (155 unemployed)

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#13. Butler County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.5%
— 1 month change: +0.3%
— 1 year change: -1.6%
– Total labor force: 8,778 (309 unemployed)

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#12. Washington County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.5%
— 1 month change: +0.4%
— 1 year change: -0.9%
– Total labor force: 6,502 (227 unemployed)

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#11. Choctaw County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.6%
— 1 month change: +0.6%
— 1 year change: -0.5%
– Total labor force: 4,339 (155 unemployed)

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#10. Barbour County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.7%
— 1 month change: +0.4%
— 1 year change: -1.7%
– Total labor force: 8,241 (302 unemployed)

Carol M. Highsmith // Wikimedia Commons

#9. Monroe County

– Current unemployment rate: 3.9%
— 1 month change: +0.4%
— 1 year change: -1.7%
– Total labor force: 7,334 (286 unemployed)

Carol M. Highsmith // Wikimedia Commons

#8. Hale County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.1%
— 1 month change: +0.5%
— 1 year change: -1.6%
– Total labor force: 5,835 (238 unemployed)

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#7. Macon County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.1%
— 1 month change: +0.5%
— 1 year change: -1.6%
– Total labor force: 7,845 (323 unemployed)

Altairisfar // Wikimedia Commons

#6. Clarke County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.4%
— 1 month change: +0.4%
— 1 year change: -1.3%
– Total labor force: 7,778 (346 unemployed)

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#5. Greene County

– Current unemployment rate: 4.7%
— 1 month change: +0.4%
— 1 year change: -1.6%
– Total labor force: 2,826 (134 unemployed)

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#4. Dallas County

– Current unemployment rate: 5.4%
— 1 month change: +0.5%
— 1 year change: -1.4%
– Total labor force: 13,681 (743 unemployed)

Altairisfar // Wikimedia Commons

#3. Lowndes County

– Current unemployment rate: 5.9%
— 1 month change: +0.4%
— 1 year change: -3.4%
– Total labor force: 3,522 (207 unemployed)

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#2. Perry County

– Current unemployment rate: 5.9%
— 1 month change: +0.5%
— 1 year change: -2.1%
– Total labor force: 3,027 (179 unemployed)

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#1. Wilcox County

– Current unemployment rate: 8.5%
— 1 month change: +0.7%
— 1 year change: -1.9%
– Total labor force: 2,541 (215 unemployed)