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The most recent numbers released by the Alabama Department of Labor (ADOL) show a slight uptick in weekly claims in Dallas County, which saw 80 initial claims filed last week compared to 77 the week before.

Though the increases have been minimal, the most recent report represents two weeks of increasing numbers in the county, which dipped to its lowest levels since late-March during the week of Aug. 22, when 67 claims were filed.

Since then, numbers have been on a turbulent trajectory – after the late-August dip, numbers increased to 97 during the final week of August before again climbing down to 87 claims during the first week of September; numbers rose to 94 claims during the week of Sept. 12 and inched up by one the following week before tumbling to 71 during the final week of September, where they stayed during the first week of October.

Conversely, statewide numbers saw a week-to-week decline, dropping from nearly 8,600 initial claims filed during the week of Oct. 10 to less than 8,000 in the most recent report, with more than 4,000 related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Nationwide, numbers also took a dip last week, reaching their lowest numbers since mid-March, but still showed that roughly 787,000 Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week.

Dallas County’s closest neighbors continue to see mixed results from one week to the next, with Autauga County seeing a significant rise in weekly claim numbers, 101 last week versus 89 during the week of Oct. 10, and Lowndes County seeing only a one-point increase, 16 in the most recent report compared to 15 the week before.

Marengo County climbed down modestly in the latest report, with 21 initial claims filed last week versus 23 during the week of Oct. 10, while Perry County’s numbers increase from 16 during the week of Oct. 10 to 25 in the most recent report.

Wilcox County likewise saw a small increase in weekly numbers, ticking up to 34 in the most recent report compared to 31 during the week of Oct. 10.

As has been the case throughout the pandemic, Jefferson County, which emerged as one of the state’s earliest hotspots for the virus, continues to see the highest weekly claims numbers, with nearly 1,200 filed last week, and the unclassified sector of the workforce continues to shed the most jobs, contributing more than 3,700 of last week’s claims.

Other industries that continue to see job losses include the manufacturing sector, which contributed more than 700 claims last week, the remediation services sector, which shed more than 675 jobs last week, the retail trade sector, which added 534 of last week’s claims.

The accommodation and food services sector added 491 of last week’s claims and the healthcare and social assistance sector contributed just over 425 claims.