Jobless Rate Drops In August

Jobless Rate Drops In August

By David Howell

Editor

WATER VALLEY – Unemployment in August dropped just over a percentage point from the previous month, going from 7.2 to 6.0, according to the latest statistics from the Missis-sippi Depart-ment of Employ-ment Security (MDES). 

The MDES report calculated an estimated 300 Yalobushians were unemployed during August out of a total labor force of 5,010. During the previous month, MDES reported 360 people in the county were unemployed out of a total labor force of 5,020. The labor force is defined by MDES as the estimated number of people eligible for work or actively seeking employment. But, those figures don’t include people no longer participating in the labor force.

Statewide the number of jobs grew by 2,700 in August to 1,147,500.  During the last year, since August 2015, the state recorded 12,200 more jobs based on a survey of Mississippi employers considered to be the most reliable guide to job growth in the state, according to a press release from MDES. 

In comparison to the five surrounding counties, the Yalobusha unemployment rate was higher than Lafayette (4.9), Calhoun (5.2), Grenada (4.8) and Tallahatchie (5.7), but lower than Panola (6.7).

Initial unemployment insurance claims went down over the month, going from 39 in July to 19 in August. Continuing claims also declined in August, dropping from 324 in July to 212 in August.  MDES paid $$39,496 In Yalobusha for unemployment benefits in August, down from $42,674 in July. 

For the month of August 2016, 31 counties in the state posted unemployment rates less than or equal to the state’s rate of 5.7 percent. Rankin County posted the lowest unemployment rate for the month of August at 3.8 percent followed by DeSoto County at 4.1 percent. Jefferson County had the highest unemployment rate for August at 15.2 percent followed by Claiborne County at 12.2 percent.