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Escambia County’s (Ala.) March 2023 unemployment rate was 2.5 percent, according to the Alabama Department of Labor and Statistics.

The 2.5 percent rate is down 0.6 percent from February’s rate of 3.1 percent, and down 0.3 percent from March 2022.

Gov. Kay Ivey announced Friday that the state’s March unemployment rate was 2.3 percent, a new record low.

“We’re almost a quarter into 2023, and we are already seeing record-breaking success when it comes to Alabama’s economy,” Ivey said in a release. “We have been enjoying a period of low unemployment, high wages and high jobs count for some time now, and I believe that even greater economic achievements are on their way. We will not back down on our commitment to continue bringing quality, high-paying jobs to Alabama.”

Over the year, wage and salary employment increased 54,100, with gains in the manufacturing sector (+10,400), the professional and business services sector (+8,700) and the private education and health services sector (+7,500), among others.

Counties with the lowest unemployment rates are Shelby County at 1.8%, Morgan County at 2.0% and Marshall, Madison, Limestone and Cullman Counties at 2.1%.

Counties with the highest unemployment rates are Wilcox County at 8.8%, Clarke County at 5.9% and Dallas County at 5.4%.

Major cities with the highest unemployment rates are Selma at 6.4%, Prichard at 5.2% and Bessemer at 4.2%.