[10/26/02]Warren County’s unemployment rate mirrored the state’s and dropped again in September.

Figures released Friday by the Mississippi Employment Security Commission showed that the unemployment rate for Warren County dropped from 5.9 percent in August to 5.2 percent in September. During the same period, the Mississippi jobless rate dropped from 6.3 percent to 5.7 percent.

Once again, both Bill Ray at the local MESC office and state officials credited the beginning of school and the harvest season for the drops.

“Students came out of the labor market,” Ray said.

A recently announced impending closure of one plant and a cutback at another aren’t reflected in the local statistics, he said. But, they may never be because both industries involved use highly skilled welders and others whose skills are in great demand at another local company not experiencing cutbacks.

Ray said the employment picture continues to be good in Warren County with the opening of one plant to supply parts for the Nissan vehicle assembly plant near Canton and the impending opening of a second one.

Statewide, MESC officials said local education added 3,600 jobs and agriculture added another 1,300. The major job losses 1,500 were reported in the lodging and amusement sectors which normally wane after Labor Day.

Surrounding counties also showed drops in jobless rates in September. Sharkey County showed a drop from 9.7 percent to 8.7 while Issaquena County’s rate dropped from 9.9 percent to 7.2 percent. In Claiborne County the unemployment rate dropped from 12.2 percent in August to 9.7 percent in September.