11.5.23 – WJTV
While today’s unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.
Experts are mixed in their views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession. The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.
But as of September 2023, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.8%—equal to the previous month, and up about 0.3 percentage points from the same time last year. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 1.6% in Maryland to 5.4% in Nevada.
Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Mississippi using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in September 2023, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.
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#50. Hancock County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
— 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 18,486 people (592 unemployed)
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#49. Lowndes County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
— 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 24,423 people (789 unemployed)
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#48. Lauderdale County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
— 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 27,782 people (880 unemployed)
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#47. Jackson County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
— 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 57,269 people (1,858 unemployed)
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#46. Montgomery County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
— 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,746 people (123 unemployed)
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#45. Clay County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
— 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,078 people (303 unemployed)
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#44. Copiah County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
— 1-month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 10,667 people (352 unemployed)
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#43. Monroe County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
— 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 15,016 people (489 unemployed)
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#42. Yalobusha County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,670 people (157 unemployed)
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#41. Winston County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,962 people (234 unemployed)
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#40. Yazoo County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,700 people (295 unemployed)
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#39. Benton County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,962 people (104 unemployed)
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#38. Tallahatchie County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,363 people (153 unemployed)
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#37. Lawrence County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,819 people (169 unemployed)
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#36. Clarke County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,347 people (187 unemployed)
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#35. Newton County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,693 people (270 unemployed)
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#34. Grenada County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,158 people (282 unemployed)
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#33. Bolivar County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: Down 1.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 10,549 people (371 unemployed)
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#32. Warren County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 18,440 people (653 unemployed)
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#31. Attala County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,608 people (238 unemployed)
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#30. Wayne County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,665 people (241 unemployed)
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#29. Neshoba County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,419 people (336 unemployed)
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#28. Marshall County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 13,898 people (494 unemployed)
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#27. Carroll County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,069 people (115 unemployed)
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#26. George County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: Down 1.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,377 people (313 unemployed)
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#25. Jasper County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
— 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,688 people (214 unemployed)
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#24. Jefferson Davis County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Down 1.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,864 people (151 unemployed)
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#23. Amite County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Down 1.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,029 people (159 unemployed)
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#22. Perry County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,174 people (161 unemployed)
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#21. Panola County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 11,788 people (454 unemployed)
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#20. Greene County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
— 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,019 people (161 unemployed)
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#19. Chickasaw County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,163 people (249 unemployed)
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#18. Pike County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
— 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 13,337 people (536 unemployed)
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#17. Walthall County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,688 people (191 unemployed)
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#16. Franklin County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
— 1-month change: Down 1.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,450 people (104 unemployed)
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#15. Kemper County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
— 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 2.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,062 people (131 unemployed)
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#14. Adams County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
— 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 10,499 people (450 unemployed)
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#13. Quitman County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
— 1-month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,149 people (95 unemployed)
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#12. Noxubee County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
— 1-month change: Down 1.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,144 people (146 unemployed)
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#11. Sunflower County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
— 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,871 people (323 unemployed)
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#10. Coahoma County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
— 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,219 people (341 unemployed)
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#9. Leflore County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
— 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,678 people (407 unemployed)
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#8. Washington County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
— 1-month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 13,872 people (684 unemployed)
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#7. Sharkey County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
— 1-month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 1,188 people (63 unemployed)
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#6. Wilkinson County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.6%
— 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,516 people (141 unemployed)
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#5. Holmes County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
— 1-month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,918 people (285 unemployed)
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#4. Issaquena County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.6%
— 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 287 people (19 unemployed)
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#3. Humphreys County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.8%
— 1-month change: Down 1.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 1,848 people (125 unemployed)
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#2. Claiborne County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.9%
— 1-month change: Down 1.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,776 people (218 unemployed)
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#1. Jefferson County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 11.8%
— 1-month change: Down 3.0 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 2.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 1,772 people (209 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.