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November 30, 2009

Local unemployment remains level

By Trent Moore The Cullman Times

CULLMAN — Though the state unemployment numbers are still climbing, the Cullman County rate has remained steady in recent months.

The local unemployment rate for Cullman County stayed at 9.7 percent for October, matching the revised statistics from September. Year-to-date the local unemployment rate has steadily increased from 4.8 percent in October 2008.

State unemployment jumped to the highest in 25 years, moving from 10.7 percent in September to 10.9 percent in October.

The 10.9 percent unemployment rate matches the figure last reached in February 1984 when Alabama was struggling in another deep national recession, according to the Associated Press.

The national rate is 10.2 percent.

Though the local numbers are holding, Cullman Economic Development Agency Director Peggy Smith said she was disappointed unemployment in Cullman County hasn’t turned around.

“We were hopeful we’d see a decrease in this average, but it seems to be taking longer for the state and county to pull out of this,” she said. “We’re disappointed our numbers did not improve, but we’re glad to be below the state and national average.”

When compared to surrounding counties, Cullman remained near or below the local average. Winston County posted 18.8 percent, Walker County had 11.9 percent, Morgan County had 10.2 percent, Blount County had 9.5 percent and Marshall County had 9.4 percent.

Statewide, Shelby County posted the lowest unemployment rate at 7.4 percent, with Wilcox County maintaining the highest with 25.1 percent.

Alabama Department of Industrial Relations Director Tom Surtees said the rate represents nearly 227,000 people who were unemployed in the state in October, up from about 223,000 in September.

Sam Addy, the director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Alabama, told the Associated Press he expects the jobless rate to go over 11 percent and continue to rise until late 2010.

“It's going to peak somewhere over 11 percent before heading in the other direction,” Addy said.

He said he expects it will be 2013 or 2014 before the state's unemployment rate returns to lower levels.

More information about unemployment benefits can be found at the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations Web site (http://dir.alabama.gov/uc).

Job listings with the Alabama Career Center, located at the Wallace State Community College banquet hall, can be found at the center’s Web site (https://joblink.alabama.gov/ada).



* Trent Moore can be reached by e-mail at trentm@cullmantimes.com, or by telephone at 734-2131, ext. 225.

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