Alabama’s unemployment rate has dropped again.

Gov. Robert Bentley said today that December’s rate of 7.1 percent is down from 7.5 percent in November. It’s the fourth month for a decline since measuring 8.5 percent in August. The December rate is also better than the 8 percent measured a year ago.

The unemployment rate increased slightly in the Shoals, but Colbert and Lauderdale counties posted better totals than the state.

Lauderdale County’s unemployment rate increased .3 to 6.2 percent. Colbert County’s December rate was 6.7 percent, up from 6.6 percent in the previous month.

The state Department of Labor reports that Alabama gained 7,600 manufacturing jobs during the last year, and professional and business services jobs grew by 4,500.

Counties with the lowest unemployment rates in December were Shelby at 4.6 percent, Madison and Blount at 5.5 percent, and Coffee, Cullman, Lee and St. Clair at 5.7 percent.

Counties with the highest rates were Wilcox at 15.1 percent, Bullock at 13.1 percent, and Perry, Greene and Dallas at 12 percent.