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The Alabama Department of Labor (ADOL) on Thursday released weekly unemployment figures that showed more than 19,000 unemployment claims were filed last week, an increase of more than 700 over figures released for the week ending June 27.

Locally, however, weekly numbers continued to slide – 249 unemployment claims were filed last week from Dallas County, as compared to 279 the week before.

The most recent numbers represent the third straight week of declining unemployment claims in the county, though the May unemployment rate was 15 percent for the county and over 17 percent in its most populated city, Selma.

Jefferson County continues to see the state’s highest number of weekly unemployment claims, with more than 2,600 filed last week.

Nearby Autauga County saw its weekly numbers drop from 211 during the week of June 27 to 163 in the most recent report, while Lowndes County saw its numbers drop from 74 to 48 over the same period.

Marengo County saw a slight increase in its weekly numbers, climbing from 62 during the week of June 27 to 66 last week, while Perry County saw its numbers decrease from 44 to 35 during the same time period.

Likewise, Wilcox County saw a 10-point drop in its weekly numbers, climbing down from 68 during the week of June 27 to 58 in the most recent report.

Other Black Belt counties saw the following weekly claim numbers:

• Barbour County saw its weekly numbers drop from 112 during the week of June 27 to 92 last week;

• Bullock County saw its weekly numbers drop from 91 during the week of June 27 to 52 last week;

• Butler County saw its weekly numbers drop from 143 during the week of June 27 to 124 last week;

• Choctaw County saw its numbers increase from 27 during the week of June 27 to 37 last week;

• Crenshaw County saw its numbers drop from 84 during the week of June 27 to 29 last week;

• Greene County saw its numbers increase from 27 during the week of June 27 to 41 last week;

• Hale County saw its numbers drop from 75 during the week of June 27 to 63 last week;

• Macon County saw its numbers increase by nearly 100, jumping from 78 during the week of June 27 to 176 last week;

• Montgomery County saw its numbers drop from 1,400 during the week of June 27 to 1,280 last week;

• Pickens County saw its numbers drop from 57 during the week of June 27 to 53 last week;

• Pike County saw its numbers drop from 144 during the week of June 27 to 111 last week;

• Russell County saw its numbers drop from 245 during the week of June 27 to 239 last week;

• Sumter County saw its numbers rise by 1, from 40 during the week of June 27 to 41 last week.

Statewide, the unclassified sector continues to be the hardest hit, making up more than 6,700 of the state’s claims last week, followed by the administrative and support services sector and the food service and drinking places sector, both of which logged more than 1,500 claims last week.

The transportation equipment manufacturing sector represented 833 of last week’s claims, while the general merchandise stores sector, the professional, scientific and technical services sector, the educational services sector and the nursing and residential care facilities sector all logged less than 500 claims last week.