Tuscaloosa Area Unemployment Rates Rise Slightly For July

Ryan Phillips
Updated ·2 min read

TUSCALOOSA, AL. — Tuscaloosa County's unemployment rate held at 8.9% from June to July, despite 256 more people being added to the county's jobless totals, according to preliminary data released Friday morning by the Alabama Department of Labor.

While the county's unemployment saw a slight uptick, the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is even more than apparent in the year-over-year rise from 3% in July 2019.

Tuscaloosa County's labor force — made up of everyone who has a job or is actively seeking employment — also saw some growth, coming in at 103,777 for July. This actually topped the total held during the same month last year at 103,307 and marked an improvement from the county's labor force total of 101,335 in June.

The city of Tuscaloosa also reported a slight climb in its unemployment rate, rising to 10.6% in July from 10.4% in June. The number of those out of work in the city limits, despite gains over the previous months, moved in a negative direction in the most recent state unemployment report, with 226 more city residents losing their jobs from June into July.

On a positive note, the city's labor force followed the same trends as the county and grew by 1,226 during the most recent reporting period, coming in at 48,334 for July. What's more, July 2020's labor force for the city is also higher than the same month a year ago, when the Alabama Department of Labor reported it to be at 47,481 people.

The Tuscaloosa Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a scope and population slightly larger than the county, also saw its unemployment rate hold at 9% from June to July. In all, 10,632 people were out of work in July for the metro area, up from 10,348 the month before.

The state of Alabama's unemployment rate also followed a negative trend, rising to 7.9% in July compared to 7.6% in June. Conversely, the national unemployment improved to 10.2% in July from 11.1% the previous month.


This article originally appeared on the Tuscaloosa Patch