Counties in Alabama by unemployment rate

Perry County had the highest unemployment rate of 67 counties in March 2026, at 6.4%. Shelby County had the lowest, at 2.2%. The median was 3% and the figure for Alabama was 2.7%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest6.4Perry County
Lowest2.2Shelby County
Median367 counties
Alabama2.7History

Top 40 counties, March 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Perry CountyPerry County: 6.4 %6.4Monroe CountyMonroe County: 6.2 %6.2Greene CountyGreene County: 6 %6Wilcox CountyWilcox County: 5.7 %5.7Clarke CountyClarke County: 4.8 %4.8Lowndes CountyLowndes County: 4.6 %4.6Dallas CountyDallas County: 4.5 %4.5Hale CountyHale County: 4.5 %4.5Choctaw CountyChoctaw County: 4.4 %4.4Conecuh CountyConecuh County: 4.3 %4.3Barbour CountyBarbour County: 3.9 %3.9Sumter CountySumter County: 3.8 %3.8Butler CountyButler County: 3.7 %3.7Escambia CountyEscambia County: 3.7 %3.7Macon CountyMacon County: 3.7 %3.7Marengo CountyMarengo County: 3.6 %3.6Mobile CountyMobile County: 3.6 %3.6Russell CountyRussell County: 3.6 %3.6Lamar CountyLamar County: 3.5 %3.5Pickens CountyPickens County: 3.4 %3.4Dale CountyDale County: 3.3 %3.3Talladega CountyTalladega County: 3.3 %3.3Tallapoosa CountyTallapoosa County: 3.3 %3.3Fayette CountyFayette County: 3.2 %3.2Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 3.1 %3.1Clay CountyClay County: 3.1 %3.1Colbert CountyColbert County: 3.1 %3.1Jackson CountyJackson County: 3.1 %3.1Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 3.1 %3.1Randolph CountyRandolph County: 3.1 %3.1Coosa CountyCoosa County: 3 %3Crenshaw CountyCrenshaw County: 3 %3Etowah CountyEtowah County: 3 %3Houston CountyHouston County: 3 %3Marion CountyMarion County: 3 %3Pike CountyPike County: 3 %3Washington CountyWashington County: 3 %3Bullock CountyBullock County: 2.9 %2.9Cherokee CountyCherokee County: 2.9 %2.9Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 2.9 %2.9
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesMarch 2026 (%)Change on March 2025
1Perry County6.4-0.1 pts
2Monroe County6.2+1 pts
3Greene County6-1 pts
4Wilcox County5.7+0.4 pts
5Clarke County4.8-0.3 pts
6Lowndes County4.6-0.7 pts
7Dallas County4.5-0.3 pts
7Hale County4.5+0.4 pts
9Choctaw County4.4-0.3 pts
10Conecuh County4.3+0.1 pts
11Barbour County3.9+0.2 pts
12Sumter County3.8-0.2 pts
13Butler County3.7-0.1 pts
13Escambia County3.7+0.1 pts
13Macon County3.7-0.5 pts
16Marengo County3.6-0.3 pts
16Mobile County3.6-0.1 pts
16Russell County3.6+0.2 pts
19Lamar County3.5+0.2 pts
20Pickens County3.4-0.8 pts
21Dale County3.3-0.1 pts
21Talladega County3.3-0.1 pts
21Tallapoosa County3.3-0.1 pts
24Fayette County3.2+0.2 pts
25Calhoun County3.1-0.2 pts
25Clay County3.1+0.1 pts
25Colbert County3.1-0.1 pts
25Jackson County3.1-0.3 pts
25Montgomery County3.1-0.1 pts
25Randolph County3.1-0.4 pts
31Coosa County3-0.2 pts
31Crenshaw County3-0.3 pts
31Etowah County3-0.2 pts
31Houston County30 pts
31Marion County3-0.3 pts
31Pike County3-0.5 pts
31Washington County3-0.4 pts
38Bullock County2.9-0.7 pts
38Cherokee County2.9+0.1 pts
38Jefferson County2.9-0.2 pts
38Winston County2.9-0.1 pts
42Covington County2.8-0.2 pts
42Henry County2.8-0.3 pts
42Lauderdale County2.8-0.2 pts
42Walker County2.8-0.1 pts
46Bibb County2.7-0.2 pts
46Coffee County2.7-0.2 pts
46Geneva County2.7-0.2 pts
46Tuscaloosa County2.7-0.3 pts
50Cleburne County2.6-0.2 pts
50Cullman County2.6-0.1 pts
50DeKalb County2.6-0.1 pts
50Franklin County2.6-0.1 pts
54Autauga County2.5-0.1 pts
54Baldwin County2.5-0.2 pts
54Chambers County2.5-0.3 pts
54Lawrence County2.5-0.2 pts
58Blount County2.4-0.3 pts
58Chilton County2.4-0.4 pts
58Lee County2.4-0.3 pts
58Limestone County2.4-0.2 pts
58Madison County2.4-0.2 pts
58Marshall County2.4-0.2 pts
58Morgan County2.4-0.1 pts
58St. Clair County2.40 pts
66Elmore County2.3-0.2 pts
67Shelby County2.2-0.2 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 6.4% in March 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Shelby County, with 2.2% in March 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