Neshoba’s unemployment rate improves 1% over the summer

Neshoba County’s July 2021 unemployment rate of 6.8% dropped a point when compared to the previous month's rate of 7.8 percent, according to the Mississippi Department of Employment Security.

That’s about the same as the state’s rate of 6.7%. The national percentage of unemployed stands at 5.7%.

The new numbers are a vast improvement over the same time last year in the midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic when Neshoba County’s unemployment rate stood at 13.2%. Businesses and industries were forced to halt or scale back operations and send their employees home to avoid infection. At that time, Mississippi’s unemployment rate stood at 9.6% while the nation’s rate was at 10.3%.

Neshoba County’s labor force in July 2021 stood at 10,450 people, a decrease of 30 people when compared to the previous month. Of that, 710 people were out of work.

Mississippi’s not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for July 2021 was 6.7%, decreasing nine-tenths of a percentage point over the month. The number of unemployed decreased 11,000 over the month, while the employed total increased 14,700 from the prior month. The Nation’s not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for July 2021 at 5.7% decreased four-tenths of a percentage point over the month and 4.8% points over the year.

Mississippi’s nonfarm employment decreased 4,600 over the month but was 44,900 higher than one year ago. The Government sector registered the largest monthly employment loss, followed by the Professional & Business Services sector.

For the month of July 2021, 28 counties in Mississippi posted unemployment rates less than the state’s rate of 6.7 percent. Rankin County posted the lowest unemployment rate for the month of July at 4.5 percent followed by Union County at 4.9 percent. Jefferson County had the highest unemployment rate for July at 19.7 percent followed by Wilkinson County at 15.5 percent.