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According to numbers released by the Alabama Department of Labor (ADOL) Thursday, 77 people in Dallas County filed initial unemployment claims last week, up from 71 that filed during the week of Oct. 3.

The most recent numbers bring the county to a total of eight weeks with less than 100 claims.

Statewide, however, weekly claims rose by nearly 1,000, reaching more than 8,500 last week compared to just over 7,700 filed the week before, with more than 3,100 related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Nationwide, the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) reported that roughly 898,000 Americans filed first-time unemployment claims last week, marking the highest level since numbers reported in late-August.

Just over 10 million Americans continue to receive unemployment compensation as the COVID-19 pandemic rolls into its seventh month.

Dallas County’s closest neighbors continue to see mixed results, with Autauga County’s weekly claim numbers climbing to 89 last week as compared to 81 during the first week of October, while Lowndes County’s claim numbers fell to 15 in the latest report as compared to 23 the week before.

Marengo County saw its numbers drop from 26 during the week of Oct. 3 to 23 in the most recent report, while Perry County notched down by three, logging 16 claims last week compared to 19 during the first week of October.

Conversely, Wilcox County saw its numbers climb by 12, from 19 during the week of Oct. 3 to 31 in the most recent report.

Statewide, Jefferson County continues to be the hardest hit, with 1,270 claims filed last week, and the unclassified sector continues to shed the most jobs, contributing over 4,200 of last week’s claims.

Beyond that, the manufacturing sector contributed more than 800 jobless claims last week and the remediation services sector added more than 630, while the retail trade sector and the accommodation and food services each logged over 500 initial claims last week and the healthcare and social assistance sector shed more than 460.