News Release

For Immediate Release: July 18, 2025

Alabama’s Labor Force Participation Rate Held Steady in June

Wages, Employment, Jobs Count, and Workforce at New Record Highs

MONTGOMERY – Alabama Department of Workforce Secretary Greg Reed announced today that Alabama’s labor force participation rate for June held steady at 58.0%. Over the year, this number increased by half of a percentage point from 57.5%.

“As our numbers continue to increase, we are making real changes to Alabama’s workforce,” said Reed. “We are continuously setting new economic records and strengthening our state. Our successes in these areas will benefit all Alabamians.”

Alabama’s preliminary, seasonally adjusted June unemployment rate is 3.2%, down from May 2025’s rate of 3.3%. June’s rate is higher than June 2024’s rate of 2.9%.  The rate represents 75,624 unemployed persons, compared to 78,214 in May and 69,099 in June 2024.

The number of people counted as employed increased by 35,548 over the year to 2,310,370, a new record high. The civilian labor force also increased to 2,385,994, also a new record high, with 42,073 more people joining over the year.

Over the year, wage and salary employment increased by 22,400 to 2,219,700, a new record high, with gains in the private education and health services sector (+8,000), the government sector (+4,600), and the leisure and hospitality sector (+4,300), among others.

Average weekly wages in the state increased by $65.30 over the year to a new record high of $1,118.84.

Counties with the lowest unemployment rates are:  Shelby County at 2.4%, St. Clair, Morgan, Limestone, Elmore, and Blount Counties at 2.5%, and Marshall, Madison, DeKalb, and Autauga Counties at 2.6%.  Counties with the highest unemployment rates are: Perry County at 6.8%, Greene County at 6.6%, and Wilcox County at 5.6%.

Major cities with the lowest unemployment rates are: Vestavia Hills at 2.1%, Pelham and Homewood at 2.2%, and Trussville, Madison, Hoover, and Alabaster at 2.3%.  Major cities with the highest unemployment rates are: Prichard at 6.6%, Selma at 5.1%, and Bessemer at 4.2%.

“Seasonal adjustment” refers to BLS’s practice of anticipating certain trends in the labor force, such as hiring during the holidays or the surge in the labor force when students graduate in the spring, and removing their effects to the civilian labor force.

The Current Population (CPS), or the household survey, is conducted by the Census Bureau and identifies members of the work force and measures how many people are working or looking for work.

The establishment survey, which is conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a division of the U.S. Department of Labor, surveys employers to measure how many jobs are in the economy.  This is also referred to as wage and salary employment.

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