MONTGOMERY – Alabama Department of Industrial Relations Director Tom Surtees announced today that Alabama’s preliminary July unemployment rate is 8.3 percent, up from June’s rate of 7.8 percent, but below last year’s rate of 9.2 percent. The rate represents 179,535 unemployed persons, compared to 168,602 last month and 202,311 in July 2011.

“We see more partial claims in July and December than in any other month,” said Surtees. “Last month was no exception.”

Partial unemployment claims, which are claims that are filed by workers who have been laid off, but for a specified time of less than three weeks, increased in July to 9,259, up significantly from the 2,570 and 3,181 recorded in May and June, respectively.

Additionally, the total workforce also increased by over 5,000 people this month. July’s civilian labor workforce totaled 2,157,890, compared to 2,152,849 in June.

Counties with the lowest unemployment rates are: Shelby County at 6 percent, Blount County at 7.4 percent and Coffee County at 7.5 percent. Counties with the highest unemployment rates are: Wilcox County at 19.6 percent, Dallas County at 17,8 percent, and Lowndes County at 16.7 percent.