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Nearly 100 fewer new unemployment claims were filed in Dallas County last week, according to weekly numbers released by the Alabama Department of Labor (ADOL) Thursday afternoon.

During the week of June 25, 195 unemployment claims were filed in the county compared to 291 the week before, which represented an increase of 50 over numbers reported during the week of June 11.

Dallas County began July on a downward trend, dropping from 279 during the last week of June to 249 during the first week of July; the following week, numbers dropped to 241 before climbing back up to 291 during the week of June 18.

Neighboring counties, meanwhile, have been shouldering mixed results for several weeks.

Autauga County saw only a modest increase in new jobless claims, with 173 last week as compared to 172 the week before, while Lowndes County saw its second straight week of declining numbers, with 45 new claims filed last week compared to 58 the week before and 62 during the week of June 11.

Likewise, Marengo County saw its numbers drop in the most recent report, down to 47 last week compared to 73 the week before, as did Perry County, dropping to 41 new claims last week compared to 58 the week before, and Wilcox County, which dropped from 66 during the week of June 18 to 50 in the most recent report.

Statewide, more than 5,000 fewer new unemployment claims were filed last week compared to the week before – the most recent numbers show that 17,439 Alabamians filed for unemployment benefits last week compared to more than 23,600 the week before.

More than 15,400 of the claims filed last week were related to the growing COVID-19 pandemic.

The unclassified sector continues to be the hardest hit, making up 7,700 of last week’s new claims, followed by the manufacturing sector, which shed more than 2,000 jobs last week, as well as the accommodation and food services sector, the remediation services sector, the retail trade sector and the healthcare and social assistance sector, each of which made up more than 1,000 of the claims filed last week.