WASHINGTON: The unemployment rate in the Shoals fell to 6.8 percent in March, according to preliminary figures from the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations. The February rate was 7.3 percent. The rate in March 2015 was 7.1 percent, according to the figures.
The drop in unemployment was accompanied by an increase in civilian labor force in the Shoals. That number was 66,631 in March, representing the highest amount since December 2014, when it was 67,251, according to the statistics. The labor force in February was 66,296. It stood at 65,950 in March 2015, the figures show.
Forrest Wright, president of the Shoals Economic Development Authority, said while it’s nice to see a month-to-month decrease, his office focuses on long-term numbers.
“We don’t look at month to month,” Wright said. “We look at trends, and the trend is that the numbers show 800 more people are working this year than this time last year.” He was referring to the industrial relations numbers that reveal 62,087 Shoals residents had jobs in March, compared to 61,252 in March 2015. Wright said he also sees a favorable trend while driving around the area.
“I’m seeing more and more help-wanted signs,” he said. “Not only are the number of people employed going up, the job openings are as well.” He said the types of jobs available cover a wide range that includes skilled, technical, management, medical and other professional openings.
On the minus side, the Shoals’ unemployment rate continues to be among the highest in Alabama metropolitan areas, with only Mobile’s and Anniston-Oxford’s 7 percent rates ranking higher, the figures show. Alabama’s unemployment rate in March was 6.2 percent, while the national rate was 5.1 percent, according to the figures.
