Non-seasonally adjusted employment rates for Alabama counties in April reflect a decrease in Crenshaw County’s unemployment rates from March, but an increase over the same time last year.

In April, data from the Alabama Department of Labor showed a 6.1 percent unemployment rating in Crenshaw County. The figure was 6.9 percent in March and 5.5 percent in April 2013.

Statewide, the numbers follow the same pattern in non-adjusted figures, but show a steady rise in unemployment when seasonally adjusted. meanwhile, adjusted numbers for the nation reflect an opposite trend in which unemployment is in decline, according to the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

ADOL Commissioner Tom Surtees said in a release that not all the monthly data was bad news.

“Other facts are more promising,” he said. “There is a significant increase, both over the month and over the year, in the number of jobs employers are reporting, we are registering record numbers of job orders on JobLink, online job ads are up over 17% and initial unemployment compensation claims and payments remain at five year lows.

“All of these things point to a much healthier job market than we have seen in some time.”

Additional unemployment figures for comparison:

• National (seasonally adjusted): April 2014 – 6.3 percent, March 2014 – 6.7 percent, April 2013 – 7.5 percent
• Statewide (seasonally adjusted): April 2014 – 6.9 percent, March 2014 – 6.7 percent, April 2013 – 6.5 percent
• Statewide (not seasonally adjusted): April 2014 – 6.2 percent, March 2014 – 6.9 percent, April 2013 – 5.7 percent
• Crenshaw County (not seasonally adjusted): April 2014 – 6.1 percent, March 2014 – 6.9 percent, April 2013 – 5.5 percent
• Butler County (not seasonally adjusted): April 2014 – 7.9 percent, March 2014 – 8.8 percent, April 2013 – 8.4 percent
• Lowndes County (not seasonally adjusted): April 2014 – 10.8 percent, March 2014 – 11.8 percent, April 2013 – 10.7 percent
• Montgomery County (not seasonally adjusted): April 2014 – 6.8 percent, March 2014 – 7.5 percent, April 2013 – 6.0 percent
• Pike County (not seasonally adjusted): April 2014 – 6.2 percent, March 2014 – 7.1 percent, April 2013 – 5.6 percent
• Coffee County (not seasonally adjusted): April 2014 – 6.1 percent, March 2014 – 6.9 percent, April 2013 – 5.5 percent
• Covington County (not seasonally adjusted): April 2014 – 6.9 percent, March 2014 – 7.8 percent, April 2013 – 6.3 percent