Alabama’s unemployment rate dropped to 4.4% in November, according to figures released Friday by the Alabama Department of Labor, a sizable drop from the 5.7% unemployment rate the state experienced in October.

“The rate is not calculated based on how many people are receiving unemployment benefits. It’s based on how many people in the workforce are working or looking for work, compared to how many are not,” the department explained on Twitter.

November’s unemployment rate in Alabama is still well above the pre-pandemic level of 2.7% experienced in November 2019.

“As we are nearing the end of a definitively turbulent year, it’s truly great news to see our unemployment rate drop below 5%,” said Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington in a release.

In total, there were 100,547 unemployed Alabamians seeking work in November, down from 127,425 in the previous month, but still well above the pre-coronavirus 61,281 a year ago.

Washington added that his department remains “dedicated to helping those who were impacted by the pandemic,” and it is his goal to help people find jobs “or get the training they need to start new careers.”

The counties with the lowest unemployment rates in November were Cullman at 2.4% and Shelby, Marshall, and Franklin at 2.5%.

Alabama’s counties with the highest unemployment rates were Wilcox at 10.9%, Lowndes at 10.7% and Perry at 8.0%.

In November, the number of people employed in Alabama was 2,166,308 — the highest employment level since March.

“We’re not where we were prior to the pandemic, and it may take more time to get there, but we’re making progress. We’ve got more people working now than at any time since the pandemic started,” Washington stated.

Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: henry@new-yhn.local or on Twitter @HenryThornton95.