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By Fred Guarino
The Lowndes Signal
Despite a slight increase, Lowndes county’s unemployment rate improved from the third highest in the state in May to the seventh highest in June, according to preliminary numbers released Friday by the Alabama Department of Labor.
While Lowndes County’s unemployment rate actually rose .1 percent from an 11.9 percent in May to 12.0 percent in June, according to the Alabama Department of Labor, counties with higher rates for June include: Wilcox at 17.2 percent, Perry at 14.8 percent, Dallas at 14.3 percent, Greene at 13.1 percent, Sumter at 12.3 and Monroe 12.2 percent.
Governor Robert Bentley announced Friday that Alabama’s preliminary, seasonally adjusted June unemployment rate is 6.8 percent, which is unchanged from May’s rate.
June’s rate represents 144,991 unemployed persons, compared to 146,976 in May, a decrease of 1,985 persons.
“For Alabamians who want a job, we remain focused on helping them find and keep a job,” Bentley said. “Just this week, we were able to announce three new projects resulting in hundreds of well-paying jobs for Alabamians. These jobs are a sign that existing companies are confident in the Alabama economy.”
Alabama’s economy generated approximately 5,000 more jobs when compared to Alabama’s wage and salary employment in June 2013. Over the year, wage and salary employment increased 5,200, with gains in the manufacturing sector (+3,900), the leisure and hospitality sector (+2,700), the professional and business services sector (+2,300) and the education and health services sector (+900), among others.
Monthly gains were seen in the manufacturing sector (+2,600), the trade, transportation, and utilities sector (+800), and the professional and business services sector (+600), among others.
JobLink (www.joblink.alabama.gov), Alabama’s free online jobs database, saw yet another record breaking month, as active job orders reached 27,268, up significantly from the 14,755 job orders recorded in June of last year.
Truck drivers, retail supervisors, and registered nurses continue to account for the most in-demand jobs advertised online, according to the Help Wanted Online (HWOL) data.
Counties with the lowest unemployment rates are Shelby County at 5.0 percent, Baldwin and Cullman Counties at 5.7 percent, and Lee and Cherokee Counties at 5.9 percent.
Alabama Department of Labor reports in 2014 previously showed Lowndes County unemployment numbers were making monthly improvement until May.
In February, Lowndes County had a 12.6 percent unemployment rate, which ranked it as fourth highest in the state behind Wilcox, Perry and Dallas counties. 
Figures released for March, showed Lowndes County improved .5 percent from a revised rate of 12.5 percent in February to a preliminary 12 percent for March. And Lowndes County improved 1 percent from a revised rate of 11.8 percent in March to a preliminary 10.8 percent in April.
However, for May, Lowndes County went from 10.8 percent in April to a preliminary rate of 11.9 percent, an increase of 1.1 percent, which was third highest in the state.
Lowndes County residents no longer have to travel to Greenville for career counseling, job training and other assistance offered by the Alabama Career Center System.
Lowndes County residents can now get such help from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each Wednesday, alternating in Fort Deposit and Hayneville.
A Lowndes County Career Center Office is open at the Fort Deposit Public Library on the first and third Wednesdays of each month and at the Family Service Center in Hayneville on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month.
The Family Service Center of Lowndes County is a program of Family Guidance Center of Alabama.