Alabama's preliminary, seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in September was 3.8 percent, the lowest since April 2007 and matching the lowest rate ever, Gov. Kay Ivey announced today.

The rate dropped from 4.2 percent in August. It was well below the 6 percent rate of September 2016.

The new rate represents 82,678 unemployed people, compared to 90,756 in August and 131,201 in September 2016, the governor's office said in a press release.

The 3.8 percent rate is the lowest rate in recorded history, the governor's office said.

"When it comes to job creation, we are doing the right thing and momentum is on our side in Alabama," Ivey said in the press release. "But, we won't let up and we will continue recruiting new businesses and encouraging existing firms to expand. We can't and won't slow down just because we've reached this milestone."

The report counts 2,068,594 people as employed in September, about 11,000 more than the previous month and 23,000 more than a year ago.

"Those numbers represent real workers, with real families, and indicate real progress in our economy," Alabama Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington said in the press release.

The Alabama rate in September was below the U.S. seasonally adjusted rate of 4.2 percent. Until August, Alabama's rate had not been below the national rate since October 2013.

Shelby County had the lowest unemployment rate, 2.4 percent. Marshall and Cullman counties were next lowest at 2.8 percent. Madison, Lee, and Elmore counties had rates of 2.9 percent.

Wilcox County had the highest rate, 8.9 percent, followed by Clarke County at 6.7 percent and Dallas County at 6.3 percent.

Among major cities, four Birmingham-area cities had the lowest rates, Vestavia Hills at 2.2 percent, Alabaster and Homewood at 2.3 percent and Hoover at 2.4 percent. Major cities with the highest unemployment rates were Selma at 7 percent, Prichard at 6.4 percent and Bessemer at 4.7 percent.

Unemployment Rate by County September 2017 by Mike Cason on Scribd