Alabama unemployment – Misryoum reports Alabama’s preliminary March unemployment rate held at 2.7%, with wage gains and steady employment growth.
Alabama’s job market showed few signs of cooling in March, as the state’s preliminary unemployment rate remained at 2.7%, unchanged from February.
The Alabama Department of Workforce, as reported by Misryoum, said the March rate came in below a year ago, when it stood at 3.0%. In the same update, the state estimated 65,474 people were unemployed in March, compared with 64,830 in February and 70,862 in March 2025.
That stability matters because unemployment rates can swing with seasonal patterns. and a steady reading suggests employers are not pulling back hiring as quickly as they might in a downturn.. It also provides a clearer snapshot for policymakers and local leaders weighing what comes next for workforce development.
Misryoum reports the number of people counted as employed rose over the year, increasing by 11,027 to 2,318,507.. The civilian labor force also expanded, with 5,639 more people joining over the year to reach 2,383,981.. At the same time, wage and salary employment grew by 11,200 year over year to 2,198,100.
The state highlighted gains across multiple sectors. including leisure and hospitality. private education and health services. and professional and business services.. Officials also pointed to rising pay. with average weekly wages in Alabama climbing by $71.64 over the year to a record high of $1. 178.60.
In this context, higher wages alongside a flat unemployment rate can indicate that demand for labor remains firm even as the workforce expands. For job seekers, it may also signal stronger bargaining power than in periods when employers have more leverage.
Misryoum also notes that unemployment rates varied widely by county and city.. The lowest unemployment rates were recorded in Shelby County at 2.2%, Elmore County at 2.3%, and St.. Clair, Morgan, Marshall, Madison, Limestone, Lee, Chilton and Blount counties at 2.4%.. Meanwhile, Perry County led the highest end at 6.5%, followed by Monroe County at 6.1% and Greene County at 6.0%.
At the city level, the lowest unemployment rates included Trussville and Pelham at 2.0%, Hoover at 2.1%, and Vestavia Hills, Madison, Homewood and Alabaster at 2.2%. The highest readings among major cities included Prichard at 6.0%, Selma at 4.9%, and Bessemer at 4.3%.
The takeaway for Alabama is that even when the statewide picture looks steady, local conditions can diverge sharply. That gap is likely to shape where job training resources and economic development efforts are targeted next.