Counties in Alabama by unemployment rate

Perry County had the highest unemployment rate of 67 counties in February 2026, at 7.1%. Shelby County had the lowest, at 2.5%. The median was 3.4% and the figure for Alabama was 2.7%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest7.1Perry County
Lowest2.5Shelby County
Median3.467 counties
Alabama2.7History

Top 40 counties, February 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Perry CountyPerry County: 7.1 %7.1Monroe CountyMonroe County: 6.6 %6.6Greene CountyGreene County: 6.5 %6.5Wilcox CountyWilcox County: 6.4 %6.4Lowndes CountyLowndes County: 5.5 %5.5Clarke CountyClarke County: 5.2 %5.2Conecuh CountyConecuh County: 4.9 %4.9Hale CountyHale County: 4.9 %4.9Dallas CountyDallas County: 4.8 %4.8Choctaw CountyChoctaw County: 4.5 %4.5Sumter CountySumter County: 4.4 %4.4Barbour CountyBarbour County: 4.3 %4.3Butler CountyButler County: 4.2 %4.2Escambia CountyEscambia County: 4.2 %4.2Macon CountyMacon County: 4.2 %4.2Marengo CountyMarengo County: 4.1 %4.1Mobile CountyMobile County: 4 %4Lamar CountyLamar County: 3.9 %3.9Pickens CountyPickens County: 3.9 %3.9Dale CountyDale County: 3.7 %3.7Fayette CountyFayette County: 3.7 %3.7Randolph CountyRandolph County: 3.7 %3.7Russell CountyRussell County: 3.7 %3.7Talladega CountyTalladega County: 3.7 %3.7Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 3.6 %3.6Jackson CountyJackson County: 3.6 %3.6Pike CountyPike County: 3.6 %3.6Tallapoosa CountyTallapoosa County: 3.6 %3.6Bullock CountyBullock County: 3.5 %3.5Colbert CountyColbert County: 3.5 %3.5Lauderdale CountyLauderdale County: 3.5 %3.5Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 3.5 %3.5Washington CountyWashington County: 3.5 %3.5Clay CountyClay County: 3.4 %3.4Etowah CountyEtowah County: 3.4 %3.4Houston CountyHouston County: 3.4 %3.4Tuscaloosa CountyTuscaloosa County: 3.4 %3.4Coosa CountyCoosa County: 3.3 %3.3Crenshaw CountyCrenshaw County: 3.3 %3.3Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 3.3 %3.3
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesFebruary 2026 (%)Change on February 2025
1Perry County7.1+0.6 pts
2Monroe County6.6+0.8 pts
3Greene County6.5-1.6 pts
4Wilcox County6.4+0.3 pts
5Lowndes County5.5+0.5 pts
6Clarke County5.2-0.4 pts
7Conecuh County4.9+0.5 pts
7Hale County4.9+0.3 pts
9Dallas County4.8-0.6 pts
10Choctaw County4.5-0.8 pts
11Sumter County4.4-0.1 pts
12Barbour County4.3+0.3 pts
13Butler County4.20 pts
13Escambia County4.2+0.3 pts
13Macon County4.2-0.3 pts
16Marengo County4.1-0.1 pts
17Mobile County40 pts
18Lamar County3.9+0.1 pts
18Pickens County3.9-0.6 pts
20Dale County3.70 pts
20Fayette County3.7+0.6 pts
20Randolph County3.7+0.1 pts
20Russell County3.7-0.1 pts
20Talladega County3.7+0.1 pts
25Calhoun County3.6+0.1 pts
25Jackson County3.6-0.1 pts
25Pike County3.60 pts
25Tallapoosa County3.60 pts
29Bullock County3.5-0.5 pts
29Colbert County3.5-0.2 pts
29Lauderdale County3.5+0.1 pts
29Montgomery County3.50 pts
29Washington County3.5-0.2 pts
34Clay County3.40 pts
34Etowah County3.40 pts
34Houston County3.4+0.2 pts
34Tuscaloosa County3.4+0.2 pts
38Coosa County3.3-0.3 pts
38Crenshaw County3.3-0.5 pts
38Jefferson County3.30 pts
38Marion County3.3-0.3 pts
38Winston County3.3-0.2 pts
43Cherokee County3.20 pts
43Covington County3.2-0.2 pts
43Walker County3.2+0.1 pts
46Bibb County3.1-0.1 pts
46Coffee County3.1-0.1 pts
46DeKalb County3.1+0.1 pts
46Franklin County3.1+0.1 pts
46Henry County3.1-0.2 pts
51Cleburne County3-0.1 pts
51Cullman County3+0.1 pts
51Geneva County3-0.2 pts
54Autauga County2.9+0.1 pts
54Baldwin County2.9-0.1 pts
54Lee County2.9+0.1 pts
57Chilton County2.8-0.2 pts
57Lawrence County2.8-0.2 pts
57Madison County2.80 pts
57Marshall County2.80 pts
57Morgan County2.8+0.1 pts
57St. Clair County2.8+0.1 pts
63Blount County2.7-0.2 pts
63Chambers County2.7-0.1 pts
63Limestone County2.7-0.1 pts
66Elmore County2.6-0.1 pts
67Shelby County2.50 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Unemployed people as a percentage of the labour force, using the survey definition of unemployment: without work, available and looking for work. Spain: EPA, aged 16 and over. EU: Labour Force Survey, aged 15 to 74. United States: civilian labour force aged 16 and over, from the Current Population Survey for the nation and from BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics models, consistent with that survey, for states and counties. Other countries and the World: ILO modelled estimates published by the World Bank, aged 15 and over.

Survey-based. Available for Spain, regions, provinces, EU countries, US states and US counties, not Spanish municipalities. For municipalities use registered_unemployment_rate. US national and state rates are seasonally adjusted; county rates are not. Countries without a national or Eurostat series get the annual ILO modelled estimate, a model output rather than a survey result.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest unemployment rate?

Perry County, with 7.1% in February 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Shelby County, with 2.5% in February 2026.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Unemployment rate: other rankings

Counties in Alabama: more rankings