Alabama’s unemployment rate has taken another big drop, pushing it below the national average.

Alabama Department of Industrial Relations’ data released Friday listed December’s unemployment rate at 8.1 percent, down from 8.7 percent in November.

The state’s rate is a full percentage point below the December 2010 figure. Alabama’s rate has decreased monthly since July when 10 percent of state workers were unemployed. The rate has decreased 1.7 percent in the last three months.

Gov. Robert Bentley called the drop unprecedented.

“Over 41,000 more Alabamians are employed now than at the beginning of the year,” Bentley said. “I have to say that 2011 turned out to be a pretty good year, in terms of reducing unemployment, but we still have work to do.”

The national unemployment rate last month was 8.5 percent.

Northwest Alabama counties showed marked improved between November and December.

Lauderdale County saw its unemployment fall below 7 percent, finishing at 6.8 percent. Colbert County’s rate was 7.5 percent, and Franklin was at 7.8 percent.

Counties with the lowest rates in December were Shelby at 5.2 percent, Coffee at 6 percent, and Pike and Lee at 6.4 percent. Counties with the highest rates were Wilcox at 16.3 percent, Bullock at 13.7 percent, and Perry and Lowndes at 13.5 percent.