Local unemployment rates continued to fall in March, as the state rate remained steady, according to the Mississippi Department of Labor Security’s newly released monthly report.
Mississippi’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate — which takes seasonal employment trends into account — held steady at 4.5 percent. The state’s seasonally unadjusted rate — which does not adjust for seasonal trends — fell from 4.5 percent in February to 4.3 percent in March.
Both rates are slightly higher than the national unemployment rate of 4.1 percent.
Locally, counties are seeing some of the lowest unemployment rates in years. Oktibbeha County led the Golden Triangle, with an unemployment rate of 3.9 percent in March, which is down from 4 percent in February and 4.6 percent in March 2017.
Lowndes County’s unemployment rate fell to 4.5 percent, which is down from 4.7 percent in February and 5.4 percent in March 2017.
Clay County’s rate fell to 5.4 percent, which is down from 5.6 in February and 6.6 percent in March 2017.
Municipal rates in the Golden Triangle are also doing well, with Columbus holding steady month-over-month at 5 percent, and Starkville dipping from 3.4 percent to 3.3 percent.
Mary Willoughby, with the Department of Labor Security, said the March report shows the continuation of a years-long trend of improvement throughout the state. She said Mississippi’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate has stayed the same or fallen every month since July of 2012.
“That’s a very good sign for the state,” she said.
That trend carries over to the Golden Triangle’s counties, as the unemployment rate in each was lower in March this year than March 2013, according to five-year comparison data in the report.
Oktibbeha County’s unemployment rate was at 7.4 percent in March 2013, while Lowndes County’s was at 9 percent. Clay County has shown the most improvement, coming down from a staggering 15 percent unemployment rate five years ago.
“Clay County, for a little bit, was on the high end, and now it’s down to 5.4 percent,” Willoughby said. “I know that’s higher than the state average, but considering where it was, it has come down drastically.”
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with 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 43 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.