Alabama Department of Industrial Relations Director Tom Surtees announced Friday that Alabama’s February unemployment rate is 9.3 percent.

This rate remains unchanged from January’s rate, but is significantly below the February 2010 rate of 10.2 percent.

Marengo’s rate faired a little better, falling .2 points to 13 percent.

The February 2011 figure is .1 percent lower from the same month last year.

“Our unemployment rate for February remained stable and did not increase, which is something weíre always glad to be able to say,” said Surtees. “While we did gain jobs this month, the stronger indicators of recovery continue to be found in our unemployment compensation statistics.

The amount of benefit payments and number of weeks compensated continue to be below the levels of the past two years, and we also experienced a decrease in each from January.”

February’s rate represents 197,056 unemployed persons, compared to 196,125 last month and 219,269 a year ago.

Marengo County’s rate reflects 996 out of work residents, which is down from 1,011 in January.

The amount of unemployment compensation benefit payments for the month of

February was $33,145,680, compared to $37,687,027 in January.

The comparable numbers for February 2010 and 2009 were $44,660,745 and $51,451,741, respectively.

The number of weeks compensated in February was 163,359, down from 187,980 in January.

The comparable numbers for February 2010 and 2009 were 216,333 and 247,715, respectively.