Jobless Rates Holds Steady In July

Jobless Rates Holds Steady In July

By David Howell

Editor

WATER VALLEY – Unemployment in July remained unchanged from the previous month at 7.1, according to the latest statistics from the Mississippi Department of Unemployment Security (MDES) that reported 4,660 Yalobushians are employed out of a total labor force of 5,020 in the county. The 7.1 jobless rate also ranks the lowest rate in July for the county in five years, as the statistics point to a steady decline from July, 2011, when 12.8 of the county’s labor force was unemployed.

The labor force is defined by MDES as the estimated number of people eligible for work or actively seeking employees. But, those figures don’t include people no longer participating in the labor force. 

In comparison to the five surrounding counties, the Yalobusha unemployment rate was lower than Panola (7.9) and Tallahatchie (7.2) but higher than Lafayette (6.1), Grenada (5.7) and Calhoun (6.7). 

Initial unemployment insurance claims went up over the month, going from 32 in June to 39 in July. Continuing claims also went up during the month, from 252 in June to 324 in July. MDES paid $42,674 in Yalobusha for unemployment benefits in July as compared to $39,294 in June. 

For the month of July 2016, twenty-nine counties in Mississippi posted unemployment rates less than or equal to the state’s rate of 6.5 percent. Rankin County posted the lowest unem- ployment rate for the month of July at 4.1 percent followed by DeSoto County at 4.5 percent. Jefferson County had the highest unemployment rate for July at 18.5 percent followed by Claiborne County at 14.4 percent.