Labor report says Alabama only state with higher unemployment than a year ago

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says Alabama was the only state that had a higher unemployment rate in July than it did a year ago. July marked the second month that has happened.

The bureau says Alabama's rate of 7.0 percent for July compared to 6.5 percent a year earlier. The other 49 states had rates lower than a year ago.

The same thing happened in June. Alabama's rate of 6.8 percent was higher than the 6.5 percent measured a year earlier.

The national unemployment rate has declined over the last year from 7.3 percent to 6.2 percent.