Dallas County’s unemployment rate improved from July to August. The rate fell from 11.6 percent to 10.8 percent.
Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley declared the state’s preliminary, seasonally adjusted August unemployment rate at 6.2 percent.

“There was very little change this month in our unemployment numbers,” Gov. Bentley said. “We focus on the fact that we continue to show year-over-year growth in our wage and salary employment, meaning that the trend of slow and steady progress is continuing.”

Over the past year, wage and salary employment has increased 23,300, with gains in the education and health services sector (7,700), the leisure and hospitality sector (4,700) and the construction sector (4,000).

Statewide employment increased in August by 900. Monthly gains were seen in government (1,600), education and health services (1,000) and in leisure and hospitality (700).

Counties with the lowest unemployment rates are Shelby County 4.7 percent; Lee, Elmore and St. Clair counties at 5.5 percent; and Cullman and Baldwin County at 5.6 percent.

Counties with the highest unemployment rates are Wilcox County at 16 percent, Clarke at 12.9 percent and Lowndes County at 12.5 percent.