Monday Update: County's jobless rate continues to drop

By Staff
Jason Cannon
Franklin County's unemployment rate plummeted nearly half a percent for the month of February, reflecting what was a statewide trend.
In data released Friday, Franklin County reported a jobless rate of 4.5 percent. That figure represents 632 out of work residents. Statewide, Alabama posted an unemployment rate of 3.7 percent for the month of March, down from 4.0 in January.
"The February jobless figure represents 82,040 unemployed persons compared to 89,078 in January and 72,006 in February 2007," said Tom Surtees, Director of the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations. "From January to February, wage and salary employment increased 7800, with a gain of 3,300 jobs in the government sector leading the way."
The comparable February U.S. jobless rate is 4.8 percent.
Franklin County's rate of 4.5 percent is still slightly higher than the 4.4 percent posted in February 2007.