While state and local unemployment levels remain well above the national average, newly released figures show signs that people around the Golden Triangle area are finding jobs.
For each of the first eight months of 2014, Lowndes County’s unemployment rate has been lower compared to those months in 2013. Last month, the rate was 8.7, almost 1 percent lower than August 2013.
Clay County, who for several years has had one of the highest rates in the state, still did in August with a 15.7 percent jobless rate. But it’s nearly 3 percent lower than it was in August 2013.
Oktibbeha County improved more than 1 percent last month over the previous August with a rate of 7.7 percent.
Noxubee County improved seven tenths of a percent from August 2013. Its unemployment rate was 14.5 percent last month.
The Mississippi Department of Employment Security compiles these statistics each month for all 82 Mississippi counties through survey data. The statewide rate before seasonal adjustments were considered was 7.4 percent. That’s about 92,200 people without work in Mississippi, including 4,800 in the Golden Triangle’s three counties.
Seasonally-adjusted data removes the effects of events that follow a seasonal pattern, such as holidays, weather and the opening and closing of schools. Taking those factors into consideration, last month’s statewide unemployment rate was 7.9 percent, which is down just a tenth of a percent from August 2013’s rate. There were 4,600 fewer jobs last month than in July but 7,400 than in August 2013.
The nationwide rate is 6.3 percent.
Nathan Gregory covers city and county government for The Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 37 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.