Mississippi’s Employment Situation
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March 23, 2018
Jackson, MS --- For Second Month in a Row Unemployment Rate Falls to Historic Low and Number of Jobs Rises to Historic High. This is the latest information announced today by the Mississippi Department of Employment Security.
Mississippi’s unemployment rate fell in February 2018 to 4.5%, which is the lowest level of unemployment ever recorded in Mississippi.
The February rate is one-tenth of a percentage point lower than a month earlier in January 2018 and nine-tenths of a percentage point lower than a year ago in February 2017, when the rate was 5.4%.
The number of non-farm jobs in Mississippi rose by 2,500 in February to 1,163,700, which are the most jobs ever recorded in Mississippi.
Over the year since February 2017, the number of jobs in our state increased by 14,300. These numbers are based on a survey of employers. That employer survey is recognized as the most reliable indicator of job growth.
The Labor Force, which is made up of everyone who has a job or is looking for a job, decreased in February by 700 to 1,274,100. Over the year since February 2017, the Labor Force fell by 8,500.
The number of people working in Mississippi fell in February by 100 to 1,216,400. For the year since February 2017, employment in our state increased by 2,800.
The number of unemployed Mississippians fell by 600 in February to 57,700, which is the lowest number of Mississippians without jobs since July 1979.
Over the year since February 2017, the number of unemployed Mississippians decreased by 11,300.
For details or questions on this information, please contact Mary Willoughby at (601) 321-6260 or by email at: mwilloughby@mdes.ms.gov.
