Department of Numbers

Birmingham-Hoover, Alabama Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Birmingham fell 0.1 percentage points in April 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. You can also compare Birmingham unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate April 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
National 3.4% -0.1 -0.2
Alabama 2.2% -0.1 -0.3
Birmingham 2.0% -0.1 -0.4
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with April 2023 data as May 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 54,575 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. Birmingham employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Birmingham, Alabama) is also available.

Unemployed Persons April 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
Birmingham 11,542 -154 -2,013

Number of Unemployed Persons

Birmingham, Alabama Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate
Alabama
Unemployment Rate
Birmingham
Unemployment Rate
Birmingham
Unemployed
May
2023
3.7%
April
2023
3.4% 2.2% 2.0% 11,542
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
October
2022
3.7% 2.6% 2.3% 13,180
September
2022
3.5% 2.6% 2.3% 13,277
August
2022
3.7% 2.6% 2.4% 13,359
July
2022
3.5% 2.6% 2.4% 13,388
June
2022
3.6% 2.6% 2.4% 13,403

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.