Unemployment rate not falling in Wiregrass

Three Wiregrass counties reported double-digit unemployment rates for July, according to figures just released by the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations.

Barbour, Henry and Geneva counties all reported unemployed higher than 10 percent last month, which either matched or exceeded the state’s 10.2 percent rate. All were also higher than the national rate of 9.4 percent.

Barbour County had the highest rate locally, at 14.7 percent, followed by Henry with 10.9 percent unemployment and Geneva at 10.2 percent. Geneva County saw the greatest increase over the last year, almost doubling from 5.2 percent in July 2008.

Three other Wiregrass counties have rates that are among the lowest among the state. Coffee County unemployment is 8.6 percent, up from 8.2 percent in June and 4.8 percent a year ago. Houston County, at 8.7 percent, was fifth lowest in the state, unchanged from last month and up from 4.9 percent a year ago.

Dale County was ranked eighth lowest in the state at 9.2 percent, up from 9.1 percent in June and up from 5.3 percent in July 2008.

State officials have previously played up the fact that the state’s average unemployment was below the national level, but that is no longer the case.

“Although we still experience an increase in our unemployment rate, it’s not nearly as large a gain as we have been seeing this year, on a month-to-month
basis,” Tom Surtees, director of the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations, wrote in a press release.

Among metro areas, Dothan’s 9.2 percent rate was third lowest in the state, behind Huntsville, 8.3 percent, and Auburn-Opelika, 8.7.

July’s total non-agricultural wage and salary employment dropped by 12,900. Most were seasonal losses in the educational component of local government.

Unemployment is highest in Wilcox County, 24.9 percent, and lowest in Shelby County, 7.6 percent.