Counties with the highest unemployment in Alabama
Despite a relatively low unemployment rate just shy of 4%, as compared to the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains amid ongoing economic uncertainty.
Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Alabama using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in April 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.
Economists forecast a waning risk of recession and predict that the U.S. may instead be headed for an incremental slowdown in growth known as a "soft landing." Still, layoffs among major U.S. employers like Amazon to Tesla have sparked concern among Americans. What's more, unemployment has spiked in nearly half the country's states, which often indicates a looming recession, an economist told Business Insider. And with sky-high prices after a period of record inflation, savings and unemployment payments may not cover basic expenses for jobless Americans for long.
For comparison, the Great Recession of 2007-09 sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.
Still, as of April 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.9%—little changed from the previous month. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state vary, ranging from just 2% in North Dakota to 5.3% in California.
Read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Alabama.
#50. Bullock County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,516 people (112 unemployed)
#49. Bibb County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,895 people (224 unemployed)
#48. Cherokee County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,939 people (298 unemployed)
#47. Lee County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 83,859 people (2,119 unemployed)
#46. Baldwin County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 105,870 people (2,648 unemployed)
#45. Geneva County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,226 people (292 unemployed)
#44. Chambers County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,730 people (431 unemployed)
#43. Tallapoosa County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,510 people (460 unemployed)
#42. Jackson County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 23,766 people (619 unemployed)
#41. Lauderdale County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 43,966 people (1,150 unemployed)
#40. Houston County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 49,116 people (1,289 unemployed)
#39. Jefferson County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 331,120 people (8,522 unemployed)
#38. Coosa County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,494 people (120 unemployed)
#37. Washington County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,128 people (247 unemployed)
#36. Randolph County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,700 people (265 unemployed)
#35. Winston County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,951 people (273 unemployed)
#34. Dale County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,428 people (574 unemployed)
#33. Walker County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 26,047 people (711 unemployed)
#32. Talladega County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 36,392 people (1,015 unemployed)
#31. Montgomery County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 109,943 people (3,083 unemployed)
#30. Marion County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,451 people (387 unemployed)
#29. Covington County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,839 people (437 unemployed)
#28. Pike County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,204 people (466 unemployed)
#27. Coffee County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 22,153 people (648 unemployed)
#26. Calhoun County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 46,314 people (1,361 unemployed)
#25. Lamar County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,815 people (174 unemployed)
#24. Henry County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,138 people (211 unemployed)
#23. Russell County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 23,966 people (719 unemployed)
#22. Colbert County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 24,450 people (731 unemployed)
#21. Etowah County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 40,055 people (1,200 unemployed)
#20. Pickens County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,917 people (249 unemployed)
#19. Escambia County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,634 people (460 unemployed)
#18. Butler County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,116 people (292 unemployed)
#17. Conecuh County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,260 people (141 unemployed)
#16. Crenshaw County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,208 people (207 unemployed)
#15. Fayette County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,535 people (213 unemployed)
#14. Macon County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,164 people (271 unemployed)
#13. Mobile County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 192,232 people (6,412 unemployed)
#12. Hale County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,981 people (203 unemployed)
#11. Marengo County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,633 people (265 unemployed)
#10. Sumter County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,572 people (182 unemployed)
#9. Choctaw County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,050 people (168 unemployed)
#8. Barbour County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,744 people (319 unemployed)
#7. Greene County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,947 people (133 unemployed)
#6. Monroe County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,851 people (305 unemployed)
#5. Lowndes County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,538 people (166 unemployed)
#4. Clarke County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,579 people (365 unemployed)
#3. Dallas County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,430 people (671 unemployed)
#2. Perry County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,952 people (155 unemployed)
#1. Wilcox County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,518 people (195 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
