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According to weekly numbers distributed by the Alabama Department of Labor (ADOL), initial jobless claims were down in Dallas County for the fourth-straight week.

Last week, 107 initial unemployment claims were filed in Dallas County, compared to 115 the week before – though an incremental decrease, the most recent numbers represent the longest sustained decline in weekly claims since early April.

During the week of June 18, 291 claims were filed in the county – a week later, numbers were down by nearly 100 and continued to decline to 132 claims filed during the week of August 1.

Conversely, the state saw an uptick in claims, rising to nearly 11,050 last week compared to less than 9,470 the week before, the lowest number since numbers began being reported in early March.

Of the 11,047 claims filed last week, 6,145 were related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which as of Thursday had infected more than 106,780 Alabamians and caused more than 1,875 deaths in the state.

Like the state, Dallas County’s closest neighbors all saw their weekly claim numbers increase.

Neighboring Autauga County jumped from 87 claims during the week of August 8 to 96 claims in the most recent report, while Lowndes County saw its weekly numbers increase to 33 last week compared to 18 the week before.

Marengo County also saw a slight increase, climbing from 31 during the week of August 8 to 38 in the most recent report, as did Perry County, which moved from 26 claims during the week of August 8 to 34 last week.

Wilcox County registered 37 initial claims in the most recent report compared to 19 the week before.

Elsewhere across the Black Belt, counties saw the following weekly claim numbers:

• Barbour County saw its weekly numbers increase from 41 during the week of August 8 to 92 last week;

• Bullock County saw its weekly numbers increase from 22 during the week of August 8 to 29 last week;

• Butler County saw its weekly numbers drop from 44 during the week of August 8 to 43 last week;

• Choctaw County saw its numbers increase from 21 during the week of August 8 to 27 last week;

• Crenshaw County saw its numbers increase from 15 during the week of August 8 to 32 last week;

• Greene County saw its numbers drop from 26 during the week of August 8 to 23 last week;

• Hale County saw its numbers drop from 41 during the week of August 8 to 37 last week;

• Macon County saw its numbers increase by from 32 during the week of August 8 to 51 last week;

• Montgomery County saw its numbers increase from 459 during the week of August 8 to 684 last week;

• Pickens County saw its numbers increase from 30 during the week of August 8 to 36 last week;

• Pike County saw its numbers increase from 67 during the week of August 8 to 74 last week;

• Russell County saw its numbers increase from 121 during the week of August 8 to 146 last week;

• Sumter County saw its numbers drop from 27 during the week of August 8 to 25 last week.

Jefferson County continues to see the highest rate of weekly claims, more than 1,550 last week, and the unclassified sector continues to make up most of those claims, with more than 4,000 filed last week.

Beyond that, the manufacturing sector, the remediation services sector and the retail trade sector each contributed more than 1,000 jobless claims last week, while the accommodation and food services industry shed nearly 900 jobs and the healthcare and social assistance sector shed just over 800.