Unemployment Rates fall

Unemployment dropped in Etowah County and statewide in August, according to the Alabama Department of Labor.

Etowah County’s unemployment rate fell to 7 percent from the July level of 7.6 percent. The state unemployment rate dropped to 6.9 percent from 7 percent in July.

Gadsden’s unemployment rate ranks fifth among the state’s 11 metropolitan areas.

 Calhoun County’s unemployment rate dropped from 8.5 percent in July to 7.8 percent in August, a decrease of nearly a percentage point.

According to the Friday report, unemployment rates for August among counties in the area are almost unchanged from what they were last year. Cherokee County averaged a 5.8 percent unemployment rate, Cleburne 6.3 percent, Talladega 7.4 percent, Clay 8.3 percent, and Randolph 7.5 percent.

Counties with the lowest unemployment rates are: Shelby County at 5.1 percent, Blount County at 5.7 percent,