Alabama ended 2013 with the lowest unemployment rate in five years.

The Alabama Department of Labor reports that the December 2013 preliminary unemployment rate is 6.1%, down from November’s rate of 6.2%, and below December 2012’s rate of 6.8%.

The last time the state’s unemployment rate was at or below 6.1% was in October 2008, when it was 5.9-percent.

Cherokee County’s unemployment rate was up slightly in December, checking in at an even 5-percent. It was 4.7-percent in November. That is still well below the 6.3-percent reported in December of 2012.

Dekalb County had a jobless rate of 6-percent last month, up from 5.9-percent in November. It was 7.4-percent in December of last year.

In Etowah County, the unemployment rate was 5.6-percent last month, up one-tenth of a percent from November but still lower than the 6.5-percent in December of 2013.

Meanwhile, in Calhoun County the jobless rate was unchanged from November to December at 6.1-percent.

It was 6.8-percent this time last year.