Department of Numbers

Birmingham-Hoover, Alabama Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Birmingham fell 0.0 percentage points in September 2023 to 2.0%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.2 percentage points lower than the Alabama rate. The unemployment rate in Birmingham peaked in April 2020 at 12.3% and is now 10.3 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 2.0% in April 2023, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.0 percentage points. You can also compare Birmingham unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate September 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
National 3.8% 0.0 +0.3
Alabama 2.2% +0.1 -0.4
Birmingham 2.0% 0.0 -0.3
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with September 2023 data as October metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Birmingham, Alabama, National

Birmingham, Alabama monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Birmingham, Alabama Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Birmingham peaked in April 2020 at 66,117. There are now 54,480 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 11,243 in August 2023, the number of unemployed has now grown by 394. Birmingham employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Birmingham, Alabama) is also available.

Unemployed Persons September 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
Birmingham 11,637 +394 -1,640

Number of Unemployed Persons

Birmingham, Alabama Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate		 Alabama
Unemployment Rate		 Birmingham
Unemployment Rate		 Birmingham
Unemployed
October
2023		 3.9% 2.3% — —
September
2023		 3.8% 2.2% 2.0% 11,637
August
2023		 3.8% 2.1% 2.0% 11,243
July
2023		 3.5% 2.1% 2.0% 11,333
June
2023		 3.6% 2.2% 2.1% 11,656
May
2023		 3.7% 2.2% 2.1% 11,752
April
2023		 3.4% 2.2% 2.0% 11,539
March
2023		 3.5% 2.3% 2.1% 11,696
February
2023		 3.6% 2.5% 2.2% 12,276
January
2023		 3.4% 2.6% 2.3% 12,726
December
2022		 3.5% 2.6% 2.3% 13,135
November
2022		 3.6% 2.6% 2.3% 13,138

1. Metro area unemployment rates are now seasonally adjusted. The BLS has started publishing smoothed seasonally adjusted metropolitan area data which makes comparisons to state and national data more relevant than the unadjusted numbers. ↩

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