Morgan County’s seasonably adjusted unemployment rate was determined to be lower than it’s been in more than six years at 5.1 percent as of last December, according to the Alabama Department of Labor in coordination with the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

This percentage is slightly lower than the 5.4 percent unemployment rate seen in Morgan County last year. Morgan County’s unemployment rate is also lower than Alabama’s unemployment rate, which is at 5.7 percent, and the US unemployment rate, which is at 5.6 percent.

According to statistics, 2,760 Morgan County workers are unemployed out of the 54,517 people in the labor force. The state of Alabama has 119,777 unemployed workers out of the over 2 million people in the workforce.

Construction and vehicle parts manufacturing have seen the most growth in non-agricultural industries in the state with 12.7 and 10.13 percent growth since last year, respectively. Apparel manufacturing and pulp, paper and paperboard mills have employed less workers in Alabama in the last year with -16.13 and -15.12 percent decline, respectively.

Governor Robert Bentley said Alabama’s economy had a good year in 2014.

“Alabama’s unemployment rate is at a level this state has not experienced in more than six years,” Bentley said. “2014 ended on a positive note. Our unemployment rate stayed at 7.0 percent or below throughout the year, and our economy supported more jobs than it has since 2008. In other good news, our construction sector, which has seen large losses over the past few years, continues to grow. Our efforts to recruit jobs will continue until we are able to provide an opportunity for every Alabamian to have a job.”

Counties with the lowest unemployment rates are Shelby County at 3.7 percent, Lee County at 4.1 percent and Cullman County at 4.2 percent. Counties with the highest unemployment rates are Wilcox County at 12.5 percent, Bullock County at 10.7 percent and Lowndes and Dallas Counties at 10.1 percent.