Joblessness inched upward in Warren County in November along with the rest of the state, with both hovering around double digits.

Local unemployment stood at 10.1 percent for the month, up from an adjusted 9.9 percent in October, according to totals released Wednesday by the Mississippi Department of Employment Security. The local labor force shrank by 30 people last month, to 22,650 from 22,680, while the number of unemployed grew by 40 to 2,290.

Activity remains minimal in most measurable labor sectors, said Terry Hodges, branch manager for the Vicksburg WIN Job Center on Monroe Street.

“We have seen some limited activity with some local manufacturing plants and the retail section providing some seasonal employment for the holidays,” Hodges said.

Unemployment statewide was 9.8 percent, up a tenth of a percent from 9.7 percent last month. The rate went up another tenth when adjusted for seasonal factors in the workplace. The number of unemployed increased by 1,500 over the month, while the employed total increased by 3,100 from October, the agency said. Nationally, unemployment stood at 9.3 percent, up slightly from a revised 9 percent in October. The seasonally adjusted national rate is 9.8 percent.

Statewide figures reflected gains in the professional and business services, trade, transportation and utilities and leisure and hospitality categories, according to MDES.

Rankin County posted the lowest unemployment rate in the state, at 6.3 percent for a second straight month. Noxubee County posted the highest, at 19.8 percent, down from 19.2 percent a month ago.

Among area counties, Claiborne County’s unemployment rate held at 14.5 percent for the third month in a row. Rates in Sharkey and Issaquena shot up in November, to 12.4 percent and 10 percent, respectively. Both were up 1.7 percent compared to October.