By SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
Alabama employers reached a new milestone in June, setting a record for wage and salary employment even as the state’s unemployment rate increased slightly, according to the Alabama Department of Workforce.
The state reported 2,224,200 wage and salary jobs, the highest total in Alabama history and an increase of 21,100 jobs compared with June 2025.
Workforce Secretary Greg Reed credited the continued growth to employer confidence in Alabama’s economy.
“We are adding jobs every month and breaking records,” Reed said. “This reflects continued employer confidence in Alabama’s economy, and we are committed to building on that momentum.”
The largest job gains over the past year came in leisure and hospitality, which added 7,500 positions, followed by construction with 5,600 new jobs and government, which gained 5,300 jobs.
Despite the record employment numbers, Alabama’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 3.2% in June, up from 3.0% in May and 2.9% one year earlier.
North Alabama continued to post some of the state’s strongest employment numbers. Morgan and Limestone counties each recorded a 3.3% unemployment rate, while Madison and Lawrence counties posted 3.4%, placing them among Alabama’s lowest unemployment counties.
At the other end of the spectrum, Perry County reported the state’s highest unemployment rate at 7.7%, followed by Greene and Monroe counties at 6.9%.
State officials noted that Alabama’s labor force participation rate stood at 57.1%, while participation among prime-age workers, ages 25 to 54, climbed to 79.6%, signaling continued strength among the state’s core workforce.