MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama’s unemployment rate rose to 3.2% in June, up from 3.0% in May and 2.9% in June 2025, according to the latest data from the Alabama Department of Workforce and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The state counted 76,641 unemployed people in June, compared with 72,046 in May and 67,728 a year earlier.
The state agency said Alabama’s wage and salary employment increased by 21,100 over the year to 2,224,200, a record high, with gains in leisure and hospitality, construction and government. But the same report said the number of employed people fell by 12,759 over the year to 2,294,118, and the civilian labor force slipped to 2,370,759.
BLS data show Alabama’s unemployment rate was lower in much of 2025 and early 2026, then moved up in recent months. The federal LAUS program lists Alabama’s jobless rate at 3.2% in June 2026, while state labor data show it was 3.0% in May and 2.8% in April.
The state’s labor market has also shown wide geographic differences. In June, the lowest unemployment rates were reported in Shelby and Chambers counties at 3.2%, while Perry County had the state’s highest rate at 7.7%, followed by Greene and Monroe counties at 6.9%, according to the Alabama Department of Workforce.
For a political comparison, federal data show Alabama’s unemployment rate was 2.9% in June 2025 under the Biden administration and 3.2% in June 2026 under the Trump administration. The numbers do not by themselves explain why the rate changed, but they do show the state’s jobless rate has edged up from a year ago.