Mississippi's Employment Situation
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March 5, 2019
Jackson, MS --- Unemployment Rate at Historic Low and Number of Jobs Near Historic High. This is the latest information announced today by the Mississippi Department of Employment Security.
In January 2019 Mississippi’s unemployment rate was 4.7%, which is lowest level of unemployment ever recorded in Mississippi. The unemployment rate has now been at 4.7% for eight months in a row.
The January rate is the same as a month earlier in December 2018 and two-tenths of a percentage point lower than a year ago in January 2018 when the rate was 4.9%.
In January the number of nonfarm jobs in Mississippi declined by 700 to 1,161,900, which is the second highest number of jobs ever recorded in Mississippi. Still over the year since January 2018, the number of jobs in our state increased by 10,900.
The Labor Force, which is made up of everyone who has a job or is looking for a job, declined in January by 1,300 to 1,273,700. Over the year since January 2018, the Labor Force fell by 2,700.
The number of unemployed Mississippians in January was 60,200, which was 400 higher than a month earlier in December 2018; however, over the year since January 2018, the number of unemployed Mississippians is down by 1,700.
The number of people working in Mississippi declined in January by 1,700 to 1,213,500. Over the year since January 2018, employment in our state decreased by 1,000.
For details or questions on this information, please contact Mary Willoughby at (601) 321-6260 or by email at: mwilloughby@mdes.ms.gov.
