The Alabama Department of Labor recently disclosed that the state’s labor force participation rate for October showed a slight growth, making it 57.6 percent. This was followed by a slight decline in those aged 25-54, the prime-age workers, of 0.2 percent settling at 79.1 percent. Despite the minor decline for the month, it reflected a 1 percent rise year-over-year. Confirmation of the increase was provided by Labor Secretary Marty Redden.

Even though the unemployment rate remained steady at 2.9 percent for Alabama, the state recorded an increase in the numbers. There was an increase in unemployed individuals from 67,395 in September to 69,271 in October. A comparison with the previous year also shows an increase from 64,027. Despite the increase in unemployment, the number of employed bigged a record high of 2,280,863, an annual increase of 18,840. The civilian labor force had a new record with an annual addition of 24,084 people amounting to 2,350,134 in total.

There was commendable growth in the wage and salary employment as there was a record at 2,220,700 jobs, marking a year-over-year increase of 40,400 positions. Industry-wise, the private education and health services sector led the growth followed by the government sector, and leisure and hospitality sector. The highlight was also on professional and business services, government, and private education and health services which had monthly gains in wage and salary employment.

Weekly wages saw an annual increase of almost $25, pushing the average weekly wage to $1,056.18. Within the industries, the construction sector stood out with weekly wages averaging $1,385.67 in October, marking a significant increase over the year.

The unemployment rates varied among counties. Counties with the lowest rates include Shelby, Marshall, Madison, and Morgan Counties. In contrast, those with the highest unemployment rates are Wilcox, Clarke, Dallas, and Greene Counties. Among cities, Homewood, Vestavia Hills, and Trussville shared low unemployment rates, while Selma, Prichard, and Bessemer had the highest. In summation, Alabama continues to see record employment and wage growth.

For additional assistance or detailed information on Alabama’s current labor force situation or unemployment rates, individuals are advised to contact the EDD customer service. A reliable source of information to initiate contact with EDD would be the website, eddcaller.com. The website explains step-by-step procedures which helps individuals understand the best ways to contact the EDD, ensuring they get through to a live person at EDD for a direct conversation. The site also offers valuable advice on the best times to call for speedy responses and less hold time.