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The most recent unemployment numbers showed an unemployment rate of more than 13 percent in Dallas County for Junes, but the most recent weekly figures distributed by the Alabama Department of Labor (ADOL) Thursday show yet another week of declining claims in the county.

According to ADOL, there were 67 initial unemployment claims filed in Dallas County last week, a significant improvement over the week before when 107 claims were filed.

The state as a whole is enjoying a similar trend, with just shy of 8,700 initial jobless claims filed last week as compared to more than 11,000 during the week of Aug. 15.

Of the 8,676 claims filed last week, nearly 4,600 were related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Likewise, neighboring counties continued to see a decrease in weekly claim numbers.

Autauga County saw its claim numbers drop from 96 during the week of Aug. 15 to 83 in the most recent report, while Lowndes County saw its weekly rates drop by more than 50 percent, dropping from 33 during the week of Aug. 15 to only 16 in the most recent report.

Marengo County also saw a decrease in initial claims last week, dropping to 31 as compared to 38 the week before, as did Perry County, which slid from 34 claims during the week of Aug. 15 to 22 last week.

Wilcox County likewise saw a modest decrease in weekly claims, dropping from 37 during the week of Aug. 15 to 34 in the most recent report.

As has been the case throughout the pandemic, Jefferson County continues to see the highest rate of weekly claims – 1,275 in the most recent report – though it too saw a week-to-week decline of nearly 300 claims.

Likewise, the unclassified sector of workers continues to be the hardest hit, making up nearly 3,500 of the claims filed last week, followed by the manufacturing sector, which shed 982 jobs last week.

The retail trade sector and the remediation services sector each shed more than 700 jobs last week, while the accommodation and food services sector and the healthcare and social assistance sector each contributed more than 600 claims last week.