MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Alabama's unemployment rate dropped to 7.6% in February for its seventh straight month of improvement.
State officials said Friday the jobless rate for last month was two-tenths of a percent better than the January number.
The statistics represent
162,939 unemployed people. That's an improvement from 167,588 the
previous month and 204,496 a year ago.
The state says wage and
salary employment increased by 13,700 positions. The gains came mainly
in the leisure and hospitality industry; construction; and the
professional and business services industry.
Alabama's jobless rate has been on a steady decline since hitting a high of 10% in July.
The improvement means
people are no longer eligible for extended jobless benefits. The new
maximum length of time on unemployment is 73 weeks, down from 99 weeks.
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