County’s Jobless Rate Eases Down In June

Staff Report

WATER VALLEY – Yalobusha County’s unemployment rate is on the decline once again, going down a half point from May.

The June 2010 unemployment rate of 14.8 percent is also more than two points lower than the June 2009 rate of 17 percent. However, the average rate for the preceding four years was only 9 percent.

Yalobusha’s June rate is still the highest of the five surrounding counties, according to the latest numbers released by the Mississippi Department of Employment Security.

Mississippi’s unemployment rate for June was 11.1 percent, decreasing one-tenth of a percentage point from the previous month’s rate of 11.2 percent. When compared to the June 2009 rate of 10.1 percent, the rate increased 1 percentage point.

The Nation’s unemployment rate for June 2010 at 9.6 percent was up three-tenths of a percentage point over the month, but was one-tenth of a percentage point lower than the year ago rate of 9.7 percent.

For the month, only 17 counties in Mississippi posted unemployment rates less than or equal to the state’s rate of 11.1 percent.

Unemployment rates decreased or remained unchanged over the month in twelve counties. Rankin County posted the lowest unemployment rate for the month of May at 7.1 percent followed by Madison County at 7.8 percent.

Sixteen counties reported rates greater than or equal to 15.0 percent with two counties reporting rates greater than 20.0 percent. Noxubee County had the highest unemployment rate for June at 22.1 percent.