Jobless Rate Continues To Decline In Yalobusha

WATER VALLEY – Unemployment went down seven-tenths of a percentage point over the month of November for Yalobusha County as the rate continues its end of the year drop.
The latest figures from the Mississippi Department of Employment Services show 8.1 percent unemployment for the county in November, down from October’s 8.8 percent and September’s 9.4 percent.
But, the MDES estimates also show only 5420 people were employed during November as compared to 5550 during October. The reason is that the labor force decreased by 190 people over the month as well, going from 6090 in October to 5900 in November. The labor force is defined by MDES as the estimated number of people eligible for work or actively looking for work.
Just three years ago in November 2009, the unemployment rate was 13.1 percent. And, just two years before that in November 2007, the rate was almost half that at 6.9 percent.
In comparison to the five surrounding counties, the Yalobusha unemployment rate was less than Panola (9.5), Tallahatchie (9.0) and Grenada (8.4), but more than Calhoun (7.5) and Lafayette (5.4).
Initial unemployment insurance claims went up over the month, going from 97 in October to 113 in November. Continuing claims went up from 429 in October to 472 in November. That is more initial claims than a year ago when there were 84, but less than the 570 continuing claims.
Mississippi’s unadjusted unemployment rate for November was 7.5 percent, decreasing eight-tenths of a percentage point from the October rate of 8.3 percent. When compared to the year ago rate of 9.8 percent, the rate decreased 2.3 percentage points. Over the month, the number of unemployed decreased 12,500, while the employed total decreased 5500.
The Nation’s unadjusted unemployment rate for November at 7.4 percent was down one-tenth of a percentage point from the prior month and eight-tenths percentage point from the year ago rate of 8.2 percent.
For the month of November, only 26 counties in Mississippi posted unemployment rates less than or equal to the state’s rate of 7.5 percent. Rankin County posted the lowest unemployment rate for the month at 4.6 percent and Clay County had the highest rate at 16.1 percent.