Unemployment decreased in August in Pearl River County.
Pearl River County’s unemployment rate was ranked as 22nd out of 82 counties in the state during the month of August, which is a decrease compared to last month’s ranking of 16th.
According to information released by the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, Pearl River County’s unemployment rate for the month of August was 5.2 percent, which is a decrease from July’s revised rate of 6.1 percent. Overall, the rate puts Pearl River County 22nd on the unemployment list out of the state’s 82 counties.
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for Mississippi in August was 6.3 percent, a decrease from July’s revised rate of 6.5 percent. In August of 2014, Mississippi’s adjusted unemployment rate was 7.4 percent.
Nationwide, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in August was 5.1 percent, which is a decrease from July’s 5.3 percent.
A year ago in August the nationwide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6.1 percent.
Seasonally adjusted rates factor in patterns such as weather, holidays, school schedules and other occurrences that regularly affect employment rates. Only nationwide and statewide percentages are adjusted.
Mississippi’s unadjusted rate for August was 5.6 percent, the report states. The state’s unadjusted revised rate for July was 6.9 percent.
Mississippi’s unadjusted rate for August 2014 was 7.7 percent.
Nationwide, the unadjusted unemployment rate in August was 5.2 percent, decreasing slightly from July’s rate of 5.6 percent. In August of the previous year, the unadjusted unemployment rate in the United States was 6.3 percent.
Of Mississippi’s 82 counties, 29 reported unemployment rates at or below the statewide-unadjusted average of 5.6 percent. Rankin County again reported the least amount of unemployment with 3.3 percent followed by Madison County with 3.8 percent.
Issaquena County reported the highest unemployment rate at 13.7 percent while Jefferson County reported the second highest rate of 13.5 percent.
According to the report, in August there were 800 fewer jobs in Mississippi than in July and 11,700 more than August 2014. This number is based on a survey of Mississippi employers.
Calhoun, Grenada, Leake, Newton, Pontotoc and Prentiss counties’ rates were also 5.2 percent, the same as Pearl River County’s.