The Mississippi Department of Employment Security released the state's February unemployment figures (PDF, 8 Mb) yesterday, showing Holmes County with the highest unemployment rate in the state at 20 percent, an increase of 0.6 percent since last month, representing an additional 40 people who filed for unemployment.

The number of unemployed Mississippians in February was 121,300, each receiving an average check of $190.84 a week. Overall, the state's unemployment rate dropped by 0.1 percent from January to 9.2 percent in February. During the same month last year, however, the rate was 5.9 percent, representing an increase of 36 percent, or 43,400 more people without jobs.

Benefits paid out by the state more than doubled year over year. In February '08, the state paid $11,239,547 in benefits; in February '09, that number hit $26,075,541. Some of that increase can be explained by a rise in the weekly average check, which was $174.17 last February.

In the Jackson metropolitan area, the Hinds County unemployment dropped by 0.1 percent to 7.8 percent, while Madison County increased by 0.1 percent to 6.9 percent.

Lamar and Rankin counties reported the lowest unemployment rate at 6 percent, followed by Lafayette, 6.3 percent, Scott, 6.5 percent and Jones, 6.9 percent rounding the top five.

Of Mississippi's 82 counties, 47 reported double-digit unemployment (an increase of one county over the previous month), with nine counties at 15 percent or more (also an increase of one county). After Holmes County, the five counties with the highest rates of unemployment are: Noxubee, 19.3 percent; Jefferson, 18.2 percent; Tunica, 17.8 percent; Winston, 16.4 percent; and Clay, 15.7 percent.

The national average for unemployment for the same month was 8.9 percent, with nearly 13.7 million people out of work.

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ID

145143

Comment

...AND TO THINK THAT WE HAVE A GOVERNOR WHO IS REFUSING TO TAKE A PORTION OF THE STIMULUS PACKAGE BECAUSE.....JUST BECAUSE??????

Author

justjess

Date

2009-03-26T13:42:41-06:00