Alabama’s unemployment rate was unchanged at 2.1% in August.

Alabama’s unemployment rate was unchanged in August at 2.1%, down from 2.6% in August 2022.

At the same time, the level of labor participation in the state was 57%. a a slight increase over last year, Alabama Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington said Friday morning.

The new level represents 48,605 unemployed, a new record low compared to 48,789 in July and 60,200 in August 2022, Labor said.

The number of people considered employed increased by 32,631 over the year to a new record high of 2,259,025.

Over the year, the number of people employed increased by 38,100 to 2,149,800, particularly in the areas of recreation and hospitality, private education and health care, as well as in the public sector.

“We are again announcing record economic statistics this month,” Washington said in a written statement. “While our labor force participation rate has remained steady, we continue to work with marginalized groups to bring them into our workforce.”

As the unemployment rate has hit record lows in the past two years, officials have focused on employment levels. The labor-age participation rate, which measures the employment rate of those ages 25 to 54, remains at 77.8% in Alabama.

Counties with the lowest unemployment rates in August: Shelby, 1.8%; Morgan, Marshall, Madison & Cullman, 2.0%; and St. Clair, Limestone, Elmore and Blount, 2.1%.

Counties with the highest unemployment rates: Wilcox, 7.3%; Dallas, 5.5%; and Perry, 5%.

Large cities with the lowest unemployment rates: Vestavia Hills, 1.6%; Alabaster, Homewood, Madison and Trussville, 1.7%; and Hoover’s 1.8%. Large cities with the highest unemployment rates: Selma, 6.5%; Pritchard, 4.9%; and Bessemer, 4%.