For the first time in six years, Dallas County’s unemployment rate has dropped into the single digits.

Dallas County’s rate for February is 8.9 percent, which is down from 10.3 percent in January and 12.4 percent from February 2014. The decrease totals more than an entire percentage point from January’s rate.

According to the latest unemployment numbers from Gov. Robert Bentley’s office, the state’s unemployment rate is down to 5.8 percent.

“Alabama’s February unemployment rate is very good news for our state,” Bentley stated in a press release. “This month’s drop contributes to the 15 month trend we’ve seen with no increase in unemployment. Over two million Alabamians are working – the most since 2008.”

Since 2009, when Dallas County’s unemployment rate was at its highest, 19.2 percent, the county has seen a steady decrease in the number of people unemployed.

According to the release from Bentley, preliminary data shows that all 67 counties experienced unemployment decreases from month to month and from year to year.

Dallas County has dropped out of the top five counties with the highest unemployment rates in the state. It’s current rank is eight. Wilcox County has the highest rate in Alabama with 13.5 percent, and Shelby County has the lowest rate in the state with 4 percent.

According to Wayne Vardaman, executive director of the Selma and Dallas County Economic Development Authority, the county has taken great strides to get its unemployment rate down to single digits.

“It didn’t get there overnight, and it didn’t come back down overnight,” Vardaman said. “It’s taken a lot of work, but it is very rewarding to see that progress is being made, and I think it is a good positive message.”

Vardaman attributes the steady decrease to companies expanding their operations.

“Some [companies] have had several expansions or increases, and over the years have added more and more people, so now it has gotten down to the level that it is down to,” Vardaman said.

One of those companies is American Apparel, which was recently awarded the Gold Star Award from the Defense Logistics Agency.

Two years ago, the company had layoffs, but recent government contracts that were awarded to the uniform supplier have allowed them to expand its operations.

“American Apparel cut severely due to the fact that they had to go from a large company to a small company to be able to get these government contracts that the president had set aside,” Vardaman said. “Now, they are at a point where they are able to pick some of that business back up, so they’re adding jobs.”

According to Vardaman, American Apparel, along with Lear and Zilkha Biomass Energy, are currently hiring.