The unemployment rate in Chambers County may have jumped just slightly during the month of October, but I’m sure that number is set to drop a bit during the holiday season.

There will be stores needing seasonal help, hopefully those seeking employment will do so here in Chambers County, but with a short drive to Tiger Town in Opelika, there will be some employment opportunities during December for a bit afterward.

Nobody wants to be unemployed during the holidays and for those unfortunate enough to be going through that situation, I hope your luck turns around soon.

We all feel the pressure during the holiday season to buy that perfect gift for the loved ones in our lives. We want to express how much we love that person by picking out the thing that will make their face light up during the holiday they choose to celebrate.

In order to accomplish that feeling each and every year, Chambers County as a whole must keep its success moving forward with unemployment numbers.

In October 2014, the unemployment rate was 5 percent. A year later, it was 5.7 percent and in October 2016, it was 5.6 percent.

Then, in October 2017, the numbers plummeted to 3.6 percent.

That’s pretty impressive.

However, the county can’t sit back and marvel at how well it has done combating unemployment. There are still plenty of things to work on.

Median income in the county is more than $36,000 and the poverty rate is about 18 percent, according to the U.S. Census.

Kudos to the Chambers County Development Authority for helping to bring jobs to the county. I’ve only been here a short time, but I see that organization’s fingerprints all over the community. But we can’t quit.