Butler County’s unemployment rate dipped 0.2 percent from October to November,

according to the latest rates that were released last week.

In November, Butler County had a 6.9 percent rate of unemployment, compared to

October’s 7.1.

Recently, REF Alabama Inc. added on to its Greenville facilities and with the addition

came 30 new jobs.

Greenville Mayor Dexter McLendon said at a press conference late last month that it

was an “exciting” day for both Greenville and Butler County when the expansion of

REF was announced.

Recent trends for the unemployment rate in Butler County indicate that it’s

dropping month to month.

Back in August, Butler County’s unemployment rate dropped from 8.9 percent to 7.5 percent in

September, according to the Alabama Department of Labor, which provides labor statistics for the state.

Lowndes County, however, saw a big dip in its unemployment rate from October to November.

The neighboring county went from having a 12.1 percent unemployment rate in October to having a 10.4

percent rate in November.

Crenshaw County dropped from 5.2 percent to 4.9 percent in the same time period.

Nationally, The New York Times reported that the American economy grew at its fastest rate in the last

quarter of the year.

According to the publication’s online edition, the growth was helped by “robust spending among consumers

and businesses alike.”

From the summer months, the economic output rose at an annual rate of 5 percent during the summer

months.