Staff Report

Pike County’s unemployment rate for November dropped slightly from the month before, unlike the state average.

In November, 43 out of 67 counties experienced either an increase in the unemployment rate or stayed the same as October.

That was not the case in Pike County, which had a 5.1 percent unemployment rate for November, according to the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations. Pike County’s jobless rate for October was 5.3 percent and the November 2000 rate was 5.5. percent.

Statewide, the jobless rate rose to 5.7 percent, an increase from October’s rate of 5.3 percent. That was also an increase over the 4.6 percent recorded a year ago.

Counties recording the highest unemployment rates were Wilcox at 15.4 percent, Bullock and Bibb, both at 13.7. Shelby County had the lowest jobless rate at 2.2 percent, followed by Blount at 3.2 percent and Tuscaloosa at 3.4 percent.

"While the rate has increased for the last five months, it is the same as the comparable national unemployment rate which is also at 5.7 percent for November," Alice McKinney, director of the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations, said referring to the Alabama average.

"Alabama’s larger-than-national percentage of manufacturing jobs makes it particularly vulnerable to rising unemployment as the manufacturing sector continues to decline."

November’s rate represents 124,800 unemployed individuals, compared to 114,100 who were without jobs the previous month.