Alabama’s Labor Force Participation Rate Holds Steady for June

News Release

For Immediate Release: July 19, 2024

Alabama's Labor Force Participation Rate Holds Steady at 57.5%

Civilian Labor Force, Employment, and Jobs Count Reach New Record Highs

MONTGOMERY - Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington announced today that Alabama's labor force participation rate for June held steady at 57.5%, but increased four-tenths of a percentage point from June 2023. The percentage of prime-age workers increased by 1.4 percentage points to 79.2% over the year. Prime-age workers are those aged 25-54 years.

"The number of prime age workers increased by more than one percentage point since last year," said Washington. "Combined with the growth in the civilian labor force, the growth in employment, and the growth in jobs, these numbers are all excellent indicators of Alabama's economic picture."

Alabama's preliminary, seasonally adjusted June unemployment rate is 2.9%, down from May 2024's revised rate of 3.0%. June's rate is higher than June 2023's rate of 2.3%. The rate represents 67,784 unemployed persons, compared to 70,668 in May and 53,412 in June 2023.

The number of people counted as employed increased by 20,417 over the year to a new record high of 2,270,227. The civilian labor force also increased to a new record high to 2,338,011, with 34,789 more people joining over the year.

Over the year, wage and salary employment increased by 47,500 to 2,218,400, also a new record high, with gains in the private education and health services sector (+11,900), the government sector (+8,900), and the manufacturing sector (+7,700), among others.

"We are continuing to see Alabama's employers adding jobs at a record pace," continued Washington. "Our economy is supporting more jobs than ever before. Additionally, our average weekly wages have increased to their second highest level ever."

Total private sector average weekly wages increased in June to $1,043.70, representing a yearly increase of $41.47. The highest average weekly wages were $1,044.12, recorded in December 2023.

Counties with the lowest unemployment rates are: Shelby and Morgan Counties at 2.3%, Marhsall and Cullman Counties at 2.4%, and Madison, Limestone, and Elmore Counties at 2.5%. Counties with the highest unemployment rates are: Wilcox County at 8.5%, Perry County at 6.8%, and Dallas County at 6.0%.

Major cities with the lowest unemployment rates are: Trussville and Vestavia Hills at 2.0%, Alabaster, Hoover, Homewood, and Madison at 2.2%, and Athens and Decatur at 2.4%. Major cities with the highest unemployment rates are: Selma at 7.1%, Prichard at 5.4%, and Bessemer at 4.0%.

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"Seasonal adjustment" refers to BLS's practice of anticipating certain trends in the labor force, such as hiring during the holidays or the surge in the labor force when students graduate in the spring, and removing their effects to the civilian labor force.

The Current Population (CPS), or the household survey, is conducted by the Census Bureau and identifies members of the work force and measures how many people are working or looking for work.

The establishment survey, which is conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a division of the U.S. Department of Labor, surveys employers to measure how many jobs are in the economy. This is also referred to as wage and salary employment.

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