Counties in Alabama by unemployment rate

Greene County had the highest unemployment rate of 67 counties in May 2026, at 6.1%. Shelby County had the lowest, at 2.7%. The median was 3.6% and the figure for Alabama was 3%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest6.1Greene County
Lowest2.7Shelby County
Median3.667 counties
Alabama3History

Top 40 counties, May 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Greene CountyGreene County: 6.1 %6.1Monroe CountyMonroe County: 6.1 %6.1Perry CountyPerry County: 6 %6Wilcox CountyWilcox County: 5.6 %5.6Clarke CountyClarke County: 5.2 %5.2Dallas CountyDallas County: 5.1 %5.1Choctaw CountyChoctaw County: 4.9 %4.9Lowndes CountyLowndes County: 4.9 %4.9Hale CountyHale County: 4.8 %4.8Conecuh CountyConecuh County: 4.7 %4.7Sumter CountySumter County: 4.7 %4.7Macon CountyMacon County: 4.6 %4.6Barbour CountyBarbour County: 4.3 %4.3Escambia CountyEscambia County: 4.2 %4.2Marengo CountyMarengo County: 4.2 %4.2Pickens CountyPickens County: 4.2 %4.2Mobile CountyMobile County: 4 %4Russell CountyRussell County: 4 %4Butler CountyButler County: 3.9 %3.9Dale CountyDale County: 3.9 %3.9Tallapoosa CountyTallapoosa County: 3.9 %3.9Fayette CountyFayette County: 3.8 %3.8Lamar CountyLamar County: 3.8 %3.8Pike CountyPike County: 3.8 %3.8Randolph CountyRandolph County: 3.8 %3.8Talladega CountyTalladega County: 3.8 %3.8Clay CountyClay County: 3.7 %3.7Crenshaw CountyCrenshaw County: 3.7 %3.7Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 3.7 %3.7Bullock CountyBullock County: 3.6 %3.6Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 3.6 %3.6Jackson CountyJackson County: 3.6 %3.6Lauderdale CountyLauderdale County: 3.6 %3.6Marion CountyMarion County: 3.6 %3.6Tuscaloosa CountyTuscaloosa County: 3.6 %3.6Winston CountyWinston County: 3.6 %3.6Colbert CountyColbert County: 3.5 %3.5Coosa CountyCoosa County: 3.5 %3.5Etowah CountyEtowah County: 3.5 %3.5Cherokee CountyCherokee County: 3.4 %3.4
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesMay 2026 (%)Change on May 2025
1Greene County6.1+0.3 pts
1Monroe County6.1+1.8 pts
3Perry County6+0.9 pts
4Wilcox County5.6+0.8 pts
5Clarke County5.2+1.1 pts
6Dallas County5.1+1 pts
7Choctaw County4.9+1.1 pts
7Lowndes County4.9+0.7 pts
9Hale County4.8+0.9 pts
10Conecuh County4.7+1.3 pts
10Sumter County4.7+1.1 pts
12Macon County4.6+1 pts
13Barbour County4.3+1.3 pts
14Escambia County4.2+1.3 pts
14Marengo County4.2+0.9 pts
14Pickens County4.2+0.8 pts
17Mobile County4+0.9 pts
17Russell County4+1 pts
19Butler County3.9+0.9 pts
19Dale County3.9+1.1 pts
19Tallapoosa County3.9+1.2 pts
22Fayette County3.8+1.3 pts
22Lamar County3.8+1 pts
22Pike County3.8+1.1 pts
22Randolph County3.8+0.9 pts
22Talladega County3.8+1 pts
27Clay County3.7+1.1 pts
27Crenshaw County3.7+1 pts
27Montgomery County3.7+1 pts
30Bullock County3.6+0.7 pts
30Calhoun County3.6+0.9 pts
30Jackson County3.6+0.7 pts
30Lauderdale County3.6+0.9 pts
30Marion County3.6+0.8 pts
30Tuscaloosa County3.6+1 pts
30Winston County3.6+0.9 pts
37Colbert County3.5+0.6 pts
37Coosa County3.5+0.9 pts
37Etowah County3.5+0.8 pts
40Cherokee County3.4+1 pts
40Jefferson County3.4+0.9 pts
40Washington County3.4+0.4 pts
43Bibb County3.3+0.9 pts
43Covington County3.3+0.7 pts
43Geneva County3.3+0.9 pts
43Houston County3.3+0.9 pts
43Walker County3.3+0.9 pts
48Autauga County3.1+0.9 pts
48Coffee County3.1+0.7 pts
48Cullman County3.1+0.9 pts
48Franklin County3.1+0.8 pts
48Henry County3.1+0.7 pts
48Lee County3.1+0.8 pts
54Baldwin County3+0.8 pts
54Chilton County3+0.7 pts
54Cleburne County3+0.6 pts
54DeKalb County3+0.8 pts
54Lawrence County3+0.8 pts
54St. Clair County3+1 pts
60Blount County2.9+0.8 pts
60Chambers County2.9+0.6 pts
60Madison County2.9+0.8 pts
60Marshall County2.9+0.8 pts
64Elmore County2.8+0.7 pts
64Limestone County2.8+0.7 pts
64Morgan County2.8+0.7 pts
67Shelby County2.7+0.7 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?

Greene County, with 6.1% in May 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Shelby County, with 2.7% in May 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