The economy is on everyone’s mind. We look with resentment at the hikes at the pump. We look with unease at rising prices in the grocery store. We hear of problems with mortgage underwriters and the value of our houses, and we look with worry at the most important thing to a family’s economy: a good paying job.

Like the rest of the economy, the job market has had its problems too. However, Alabama is doing better than the rest of the nation. The Alabama Department of Industrial Relations said the unemployment rate was steady last month and remained at 4.7 percent. Last year, Alabama hit an historic record low of 3.5 percent, which was basically full employment. While the Alabama unemployment number has increased over the past year, it is still well below the national rate of 5.5 percent.