February unemployment figures released

February unemployment figures were released Friday by the Alabama Department of Labor. The report shows that the number of people employed in Alabama has increased since January, but the unemployment rate still increased because more people joined the available work force. The state's adjusted rate for February stands at 6.4 percent and in East Alabama, several local counties saw an increase as well. Talladega County, Calhoun County, and Etowah County all have unemployment rates under 10%, but they’ve all experienced slight increases from the rates of this time last year. Cleburne County is one of the few counties with a decrease in unemployment from last year. According to officials, Alabama’s economy is still strong enough to support the civilian workforce and make gains in job sectors that are important to the state’s economy.