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The Covington County preliminary, seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for February remained the same as January at 3.9 percent, according to the Alabama Department of Labor.

The county’s civilian labor force was reported at 14,563 with 13,989 of those being employed in February. While the unemployment rate did not change month-over-month, the 3.9 percent rate is up from February 2023’s rate of 2.9 percent.

Unemployment rates for neighboring counties were: Butler County was up to 4.1 percent from January’s 3.9; Coffee County, 3.5 percent, up from 3.9 in January; Conecuh County, 4.6 percent, up from 4.4; Crenshaw County, remained the same at 3.5 percent; Escambia County, down from January’s 4.3 percent to 4 percent; and Geneva County, 3.3 percent, up slightly from January’s 3.2 percent.

Statewide, the unemployment rate rose to 3 percent compared to January’s 2.9 percent. It is up from February 2023’s rate of 2.3 percent. The rate represents 69,086 unemployed persons, compared to 66,558 in January and 53,034 in February 2023.

The number of people counted as employed increased by 23,963 over the year to 2,258,997. The civilian labor force also increased to 2,328,083, with 40,015 more people joining over the year.

Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington said that Alabama’s labor force participation rate for February remained unchanged at 57.4 percent. The percentage of prime-age workers increased by one-tenth of a percentage point to 78.7 percent over the month. Over the year, this number increased by one and three-tenths of a percentage point from 77.4 percent. Prime-age workers are those aged 25-54 years.

“The growth in the prime-age labor force participation rate is truly encouraging,” said Washington. “We continue to see both monthly and yearly growth in this population segment, which tells us that the folks who can and should be working are doing their part and steadily joining the labor force.”

Over the year, wage and salary employment increased by 39,500 to 2,183,600, with gains in the private education and health services sector (+10,900), the government sector (+9,300), and the manufacturing sector (+6,600), among others.

Over the month, wage and salary employment increased by 21,800, with gains in the private education and health services sector (+5,400), the professional and business services sector (+3,400), and the government sector (+3,300).

“Job growth is also rising in Alabama,” continued Washington. “Our economy is supporting nearly 40,000 more jobs than we were last year.”

Alabama counties with the lowest unemployment rates are: Shelby County at 2.6 percent, Morgan County at 2.7 percent, and Madison and Limestones counties at 2.8 percent.

Counties with the highest unemployment rates are: Wilcox County at 10.6 percent, Dallas County at 6.8 percent, and Perry County at 6.6 percent.

Major cities with the lowest unemployment rates are: Homewood and Vestavia Hills at 2.4 percent, Alabaster, Hoover, Madison, and Trussville at 2.5 percent, and Northport at 2.7 percent.

Major cities with the highest unemployment rates are: Selma at 7.8 percent, Prichard at 6.5 percent, and Anniston, Gadsden, and Mobile at 4.8 percent.