Unemployment in Pearl River County has decreased by a small percentage.

Pearl River County’s February unemployment rate is down by a few tenths of a percentage point from January, but shows an even greater decrease when compared to a year ago.

According to a press release from the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, Pearl River County’s unemployment rate for the month of February was reported to be 10.9 percent. That figure shows a small decrease from the previous month’s figure of 11.2 percent. Pearl River County had an unemployment rate of 11.8 percent for February of last year, the release states.

Statewide, the unadjusted unemployment rate was 10.4 percent for February, the release states, and the adjusted unemployment rate is 10.2 percent. Mississippi’s unadjusted unemployment rate for January was 10.7 percent while the adjusted rate for the same month was 10.1 percent. One year ago the unadjusted unemployment rate in Mississippi was 12.1 percent while the adjusted rate was 11.5 percent, the release states.

Nationally, the adjusted unemployment rate for February was 8.9 percent. The national unadjusted rate for February was 9.5 percent. January’s national adjusted unemployment rate was 9 percent but the unadjusted rate was 9.8 percent. One year ago the national adjusted unemployment rate was 9.7 percent while the unadjusted national unemployment rate was 10.4 percent.

According to the release, adjusted unemployment data removes the effects of events that follow a more or less regular pattern each year, such as weather influences, holidays, school schedules and other recurring seasonal events. Adjusted rates are only available for state and national levels, the release states.

Only 23 counties in Mississippi posted unemployment rates less than or equal to the state’s rate of 10.4 percent, the release states. Rankin County posted the lowest unemployment rate for the month of February at 6.8 percent, followed by Madison County at 7.3 percent and DeSoto County at 7.6 percent. Ten counties reported rates greater than or equal to 15 percent. Tunica County had the highest unemployment rate for February at 20.6 percent followed by Holmes County at 18.9 percent.