Unemployment hits 12-year low

Published 11:00 pm Saturday, December 24, 2016

JACKSON — In the latest information announced last week by the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, unemployment rates in Mississippi fell once again in November, reaching the lowest level in more than 12 years.

Mississippi’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell in November to 5.7 percent. This is the lowest level of unemployment since February 2004, when the rate was also 5.7 percent.

The November 2016 rate is two-tenths of a percentage point lower than a month earlier in October 2016, when the rate was 5.9 percent, and nine-tenths of a percentage point lower than a year ago in November 2015, when the rate was 6.6 percent.

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The number of unemployed Mississippians also dropped in November by 1,600 to 73,400. This is the lowest number of Mississippians without jobs since January 2004 when 73,100 were unemployed.

The November 2016 figure is 11,900 lower than a year ago in November 2015.

The labor force, which is made up of everyone who has a job or is looking for a job, increased in November by 5,400 to 1,283,900. Over the year since November 2015, the labor force decreased by 1,800.

The number of people working in Mississippi rose in November by 7,000 to 1,210,500. For the year since November 2015, employment in Mississippi posted an increase of 10,100.

A separate survey of employers indicted that the number of non-farm jobs in November decreased by 900 to 1,139,700.

Over the year since November 2015, non-farm jobs decreased by 2,400.

About John Surratt

John Surratt is a graduate of Louisiana State University with a degree in general studies. He has worked as an editor, reporter and photographer for newspapers in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post staff since 2011 and covers city government. He and his wife attend St. Paul Catholic Church and he is a member of the Port City Kiwanis Club.

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