Unemployment rate idle for December

Neshoba County’s unemployment rate in December stood at 5.8%, about the same as the previous month, according to numbers from the Mississippi Employment Security Commission.

The unemployment rate in December 2020 was 5.4%. Last month, the unemployment rate stood at 5.9%.

This was an improvement from last year during the shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Neshoba County’s unemployment rate reached 16.2 percent in April and 14 percent in May.

Neshoba County’s labor force in December stood at 9,790, up 60 from the previous month. Of that, 570 were out of work.

Here is a look at the unemployment rates in neighboring East Central Mississippi counties.

Dec.2020 Nov. 2020 Dec. 2019

Kemper     7.6       7.8       7.4

Leake          6.1      5.8         5.4

Lauderdale   5.8       5.9      5.1

Newton      5.4        5.2        5.3

Scott           4.8      4.7         4.2

Noxubee     8.8      9.4      7.4

Winston      7.0       6.9        5.6

Attala       6.6       6.6       6.2

Mississippi’s not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for December 2020 at 5.9% was unchanged over the month. When compared to the December 2019 rate of 5.2 percent, the rate increased seven-tenths of a percentage point. The number of unemployed decreased 200 over the month, while the employed total decreased 7,900 from the prior month.

The nation’s not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for December 2020 at 6.5% increased one-tenth of a percentage point over the month, but was 3.1 percentage points higher than the year ago rate of 3.4%.

Mississippi’s non-farm employment increased 2,500 over the month, but was 16,200 lower than one year ago. Trade, Transportation & Utilities sector registered the largest monthly employment gain. For the month of December 2020, 30 counties in Mississippi posted unemployment rates less than or equal to the state’s rate of 5.9% as did four of the nine in East Central Mississippi.

Rankin County posted the lowest unemployment rate for the month of December at 3.7% followed by DeSoto County at 4.1%. Jefferson County had the highest unemployment rate for December at 17.4% followed by Wilkinson County at 14.1%.