Choctaw County saw decreases to its unemployment rate, while Mississippi’s unemployment rate fell to the lowest level of unemployment ever recorded in Mississippi during the month of February 2018.
Choctaw County’s unemployment rate (not seasonally adjusted) for the month of February 2018 was 5.0 percent, which was a 0.9 percent decrease from the January 2018 rate of 5.9 percent.
Mississippi’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate continues to trend lower with the February 2018 rate at 4.5 percent, which is the lowest level of unemployment ever recorded in Mississippi and lower than the January 2018 rate of 4.6 percent.
The number of non-farm jobs in Mississippi rose by 2,500 in February to 1,163,700, which are the most jobs ever recorded in Mississippi.
Over the year since February 2017, the number of jobs in our state increased by 14,300. These numbers are based on a survey of employers. That employer survey is recognized as the most reliable indicator of job growth.
Seasonally adjusted data removes the effects of events that follow a more or less regular pattern each year such as the influences of weather, holidays, the opening and closing of schools, and other recurring seasonal events. These adjustments make it easier to observe the cyclical and other non-seasonal movements in a data series. Amounts are seasonally adjusted at the National and State levels only.
Mississippi’s not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for February 2018 was 4.5 percent, decreasing one-tenth of a percentage point from the previous month’s rate of 4.6 percent. When compared to the February 2017 rate of 5.1 percent, the rate decreased six-tenths of a percentage point. The number of unemployed decreased 600 over the month, while the employed total increased 13,300 from the prior month.
Mississippi’s not seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment increased 8,600 over the month and was 11,000 higher than one year ago.
The unadjusted rate of unemployed people in Choctaw County for February 2018 was 5.0 percent, with the number of unemployed people being 180. The number of employed people in the county for February 2018 was 3,410.
The Labor Force, which is made up of everyone who has a job or is looking for a job, decreased in February by 700 to 1,274,100. Over the year since February 2017, the Labor Force fell by 8,500.
The Labor Force in Choctaw County was listed at 3,590.
The number of people working in Mississippi fell in February by 100 to 1,216,400. For the year since February 2017, employment in our state increased by 2,800.
The number of unemployed Mississippians fell by 600 in February to 57,700, which is the lowest number of Mississippians without jobs since July 1979.
For the month of February 2018, thirty counties in Mississippi posted unemployment rates less than or equal to the state’s rate of 4.5 percent. Rankin County posted the lowest unemployment rate for the month of February at 3.1 percent followed by Union County at 3.2 percent.
Jefferson County had the highest unemployment rate for February at 13.7 percent followed by Issaquena County at 11.1 percent.
Over the year since February 2017, the number of unemployed Mississippians decreased by 11,300.
