Alabama is one of the fastest growing states for small business hiring, according to a new study by Intuit.

The state was a leader in August for the Intuit Small Business Employment Index, which measures employment for firms with fewer than 20 employees.

Overall, the number of jobs with small businesses dropped about 5,000 across the country. But Alabama was one of only a handful of states that saw its small business employment increase over the last month. Alabama's SBEI was measured at 95.8, and a review of the entire year shows that the state has shown an increase each month of 2015.