Oktibbeha and Noxubee counties bucked the unemployment trend for the Golden Triangle and the state, showing a modest decline in unemployment for the month of September, according to monthly data the Mississippi Department of Employment Security released Wednesday.
Oktibbeha County’s jobless rate for September was estimated at 5.3 percent, down 0.3 percent from August. The unemployment rate in Noxubee County fell from 8.0 percent in August to 7.7 percent in September.
The jobless rate in Lowndes County ticked up by 0.1 percent to 6 percent, while the rate in Clay County increased by 0.2 percent to 8 percent.
Overall, there are 3,750 eligible workers seeking jobs in the four counties, according to MDES estimates.
Compared to a year ago, all four Golden Triangle counties showed decreases in the unemployment rate, anywhere from 0.4 percent to 1.1 percent.
Statewide, unemployment increased by 0.1 percent (from 5.7 percent to 5.8 percent) while nationally, the jobless rate decreased by 0.2 percent compared to August. The national unemployment rate of 4.8 percent is 0.1 percent lower than in September 2015.
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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