Mississippi’s Employment Situation
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September 15, 2017
Jackson, MS --- Number of Jobs Remains Steady but Unemployment Rate Rises. This is the latest information announced today by the Mississippi Department of Employment Security.
The number of non-farm jobs in Mississippi remained the same in August at 1,153,500, with no change from a month earlier in July. The job numbers in July and August 2017 were the highest since May 2008.
Over the year since August 2016, the number of jobs in our state increased by 6,900. These numbers are based on a survey of employers. That employer survey is recognized as the most reliable indicator of job growth.
At the same time, Mississippi’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.3% in August, which is one-tenth of a percentage point higher than a month earlier in July and half of a percentage point lower than a year ago in August 2016, when the rate was 5.8%.
The Labor Force, which is made up of everyone who has a job or is looking for a job, decreased in August by 5,900 to 1,283,100. Over the year since August 2016, the Labor Force grew by 2,500.
The number of people working in Mississippi decreased in August by 6,700 to 1,214,900. For the year since August 2016, employment in our state increased by 8,600.
The number of unemployed Mississippians increased in August by 800 to 68,200. Over the year since August 2016, the number of Mississippians without jobs fell by 6,100.
For details or questions on this information, please contact Mary Willoughby at (601) 321-6260 or by email at: mwilloughby@mdes.ms.gov.
