Unemployment still rising, emergency benefits made available

By Daniel L. Bamberg

reporter

The unemployment rate in the state of Alabama has increased to 10.2% a 0.1% increase from last month.  This translates to 215,377 unemployed persons.  The sectors mostly affected by losses were financial activities, construction, information, education, and health services.  Meanwhile, sectors such as manufacturing, business and professional services, along with leisure and hospitality services experienced gains. 

Alabama Department of Industrial Relations Director Tom Surtees stated, “Although we still experienced an increase in our unemployment rate, it’s not nearly as large a gain as we have been seeing this year, on a month to month basis.  The important thing for unemployed Alabamians to remember is that there is help available to them, and we at the Department of Industrial Relations are here to make sure they receive all the benefits for which they qualify.” 

Here on the home front, Bibb County saw a decrease in unemployed citizens.  Last month the area held a 16.1% unemployment rate, while this month was at 12.6%.  The rate is determined by the amount of residents employment and not by in county jobs.  According to the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations Bibb County’s shift was mostly due to the calling back of employees of Mercedes-Benz who were temporarily laid off in the previous month.  At the same time there has been a small increase in local business, which in part has contributed to the gain of employment. 

For those who are seeing the worst of these down economic times, the Alabama Legislature created recent relief.  Last week, a law was passed, adding up to an additional 20 weeks of “emergency benefits” for unemployed Alabamians.  These federally funded benefits are available to anyone who has exhausted all 59 weeks of their interests on or after March 29, 2009.  Claimants who are eligible for additional benefits will be notified in writing by DIR by August 28, 2009, and given instructions on how to file for them.  Any questions pertaining to these emergency benefits can be answered by calling 1-877-490-1642.