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"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">MONTGOMERY, Ala.

—  Gov. Robert Bentley announced in early January that Alabama’s

December 2011 unemployment rate dropped again dramatically to 8.1

percent, down from 8.7 percent in November.

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"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">December’s rate

represents 174,119 unemployed persons, compared to 187,496 last

month, and 193,158 in December 2010.

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"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">“Alabama’s

unemployment rate has been falling since August,” said Governor

Robert Bentley. “In the last three months alone, we’ve seen an

unprecedented drop of 1.7 percentage points. Our rate is once again

below the national average, and over 41,000 more Alabamians are

employed now than at the beginning of the year. I have to say that

2011 turned out to be a pretty good year, in terms of reducing

unemployment, but we still have work to do.”

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"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">Alabama’s

unemployment rate matched the national rate (8.7%) in November

2011, and fell below in December (8.5%). Employment in January 2011

was 1,921,819, compared to December’s employment of

1,963,395.

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"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">“There are many

positive economic indicators that our economy is slowly improving,”

said Tom Surtees, Director of the Alabama Department of Industrial

Relations. “Initial claims, first payments, benefit payments, and

weeks claimed all remain at levels below the last three

years.”

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"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">Initial claims

were 22,632 in December 2011, compared to 33,949 in December 2010,

42,792 in December 2009, and 32,764 in December

2008.

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"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">First payments

were 9,936 in December 2011, compared to 11,602 in December 2010,

17,220 in December 2009, and 11,936 in December

2008.

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"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">Benefit payments

were $27,227,279 in December 2011, compared to $34,210,061 in

December 2010, $55,474,918 in December 2009, and $47,717,545 in

December 2008.

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"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">Weeks claimed

were 148,784 in December 2011, compared to 184,415 in December

2010; 251,942 in December 2009; and 280,733 in December

2008.

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"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">Since January

2011, Alabama gained 35,400 jobs. The majority of the gains came

from the sectors of trade, transportation, and utilities;

professional and business services; leisure and hospitality; and

manufacturing. Declines were recorded in the government and

information sectors.

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"font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">The counties

with the lowest unemployment rates in December were: Shelby County

at 5.2 percent, Coffee County at 6.0 percent, Pike County at 6.4

percent, and Lee County at 6.4 percent. The counties with the

highest unemployment rates in December were: Wilcox County at 16.3

percent, Bullock County at 13.7, Perry County at 13.5 and Lowndes

County, 13.5 percent.

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