US Unemployment Rate in Decatur, AL
US Unemployment Rate in Decatur, AL stood at 2.9% in Aug 2026, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) — Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS). It is one of the indicators in the Unemployment rate by metropolitan area table (Value · Monthly), with a complete series running from Jan 1990 to Aug 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Unemployment rate by metropolitan area table
| Indicator | 08-2026 | 07-2026 | 06-2026 | 05-2026 | 04-2026 | 03-2026 | 02-2026 | 01-2026 | 12-2025 | 11-2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | |||||||||||
| Decatur, AL | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.3 | 2.9 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 2.1 | |
| Dothan, AL | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 3.3 | 2.5 | 2.9 | 3.3 | 3 | 2.3 | 2.5 |
Understanding US Unemployment Rate in Decatur, AL
This data series measures the proportion of the active labor force that is unemployed and looking for work in the Decatur, AL metropolitan area. It covers residents within the local industrial and urban footprint who are available for employment, excluding individuals outside the metropolitan boundaries, retirees, and those who have given up job searches. This localized metric differs from statewide statistics by focusing narrowly on the manufacturing and river-port dynamics that drive the local labor market.
Updated monthly, the series undergoes periodic revisions to reflect updated benchmarks and refined seasonal adjustment models. Industrial and manufacturing centers frequently experience distinct seasonal hiring and layoff patterns, making month-on-month figures volatile and prone to temporary noise. To properly assess the direction of the local labor market, analysts rely primarily on year-on-year comparisons, which neutralize regular seasonal cycles.