Unemployment rates continued near historic lows in the month of April based on monthly data released Tuesday by the Mississippi Department of Employment Security.
While the national, seasonally-adjusted jobless rated dropped by 0.2 percent to 3.9 percent, unemployment on the state and regional level ranged from 0.1 percent drop in Lowndes and Clay counties to a 0.1 uptick in Oktibbeha County. Noxubee County’s rate was unchanged compared to March.
The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percent to 4.6 percent.
In April, the state’s civilian labor force, which is made up of everyone who has a job or is looking for a job, increased 1,400 over the month to 1,275,200. The number of Mississippians working rose in April by 500 to 1,217,000. More Mississippians were employed than at any time since July 2008.
The number of unemployed Mississippians increased over the month by 900 to 58,200. In April 2018, there were 1,100 fewer jobs in Mississippi than in March 2018, but 14,900 more than April 2017, according to the seasonally adjusted results from a survey of Mississippi employers.
Seasonally adjusted data removes the effects of events that follow a more or less regular pattern each year such as the influences of weather, holidays, the opening and closing of schools, and other recurring seasonal events.
In the four area counties, there are 2,640 eligible unemployed people in a labor force of 70,180.
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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