By Justin Averette

Chilton County’s unemployment rate rolled back into double digits for October.
The number of unemployed Chilton County residents increased to 10 percent last month, which represents 1,886 locals without jobs. That’s a slight rise from September’s 9.7-percent mark.
The county’s numbers are still better than Alabama’s average. The state’s unemployment rate rose to 10.9 percent, up from September’s 10.7 percent. The new figure represents 226,790 Alabamians without work.
Most of last month’s job losses occurred in the financial, manufacturing, and natural resources and mining sectors.
The state saw gains in government, professional and business services, trade, transportation, utilities, and education and health services.
“While we did experience a slight increase in the unemployment rate, I am proud to announce that Alabama is already paying federal extension benefits to those claimants who qualify,” said Tom Surtees, director of the Department of  Industrial Relations. “This extension was only signed into law on Nov. 6, so that represents a less than two-week turnaround time on distributing these much needed dollars.
The state estimates that, so far, 12,000 Alabamians are eligible for the federal extension.
The counties with lowest unemployment rate were: Shelby at 7.4 percent, Madison at 7.5 percent and Coffee at 8.3 percent.
Counties with the highest unemployment were Wilcox at 25.1 percent and Dallas at 21.9 percent.