11,000 more Alabamians need to be employed in order for Gov. Robert Bentley to get a paycheck.

MONTGOMERY — About 11,000 more Alabamians need to be employed in order for Gov. Robert Bentley to get a paycheck.

In October, the state’s unemployment rate was 5.7 percent — up from 5.4 percent in September. Bentley was first elected in 2010 but has never drawn a salary, pledging not to until the state gets to full employment.

“As it stands right now, 5.2 percent is what he considers full employment and when he’ll start taking a salary,” spokeswoman Yasamie August said recently.

The Alabama Department of Labor estimates 11,000 more people need to be working to drop that unemployment number from 5.7 percent to 5.2 percent. The 5.7 percent represents 123,892 unemployed people, according to the department.

Read more: http://www.timesdaily.com/news/state-capital/capital-notebook-more-workers-needed/article_34bc7558-6d41-5a05-8aa6-4e55792648ee.html