Alabama unemployment drops to 7.1 percent Associated Press Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Published 9:25 am, Friday, January 18, 2013 (AP) — Alabama's unemployment rate dropped for the fourth month to 7.1 percent in December, well below the national unemployment rate of 7.8 percent. The Department of Labor reported that Alabama gained 7,600 manufacturing jobs during the last year, 4,500 professional and business services jobs, and 3,400 leisure and ... Read More