WASHINGTON: The latest employment figures for the Shoals are a mixed bag: the unemployment rate is highest among Alabama’s metropolitan statistical areas, but more Shoals residents are working compared to a year ago. February unemployment in the Shoals Metropolitan Statistical Area was at 7.4 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Alabama Department of Labor.
Lauderdale and Colbert counties make up the Shoals metropolitan area. Unemployment in January was at 7.3 percent, according to the figures. It was at 7.6 percent in February 2015. The next highest February rate in an Alabama metro area was Mobile’s, at 7.3 percent, the statistics show. The lowest rate was 5.5 percent in the Auburn-Opelika area.
Overall, Alabama’s unemployment rate in February was 6.2 percent, according to the bureau of labor statistics. The nation’s rate was 4.9 percent. Employment in the Shoals increased in February to 61,262 compared to 60,686 in February 2015, according to the figures. Forrest Wright, president of the Shoals Economic Development Authority, said that is a promising direction.
“The total has increased by 576,” Wright said. “That’s the net total growth, with most of that occurring in the last two months. That’s a positive trend. It’s all relative. Yes, you’d like for it to be 2,000, but we’re glad it’s not minus 576.”
He said manufacturing jobs have increased by about 200, as have wholesale/retail jobs in the last 12 months. “That accounts for most of the growth over the past year,” Wright said. He said the Shoals is trying to pull itself out from the results of a series of closings some two years ago.
Hillshire’s Florence plant, HON Corp.’s Central Heights community location and International Paper’s Courtland mill all closed during that period. That amounted to more than 2,300 lost jobs. Wright said the increase in manufacturing jobs does little to boost the morale of those who still seek work.
“If you lost one of those jobs, there’s not anything that can be said to make that good, but from the community standpoint, we weathered that pretty well,” he said. Broken down by county, Lauderdale’s unemployment rate in February was 7.1 percent and Colbert’s was 7.8 percent, the figures show. Franklin County’s rate was 6.7 percent and Lawrence’s was 8 percent.
