Unemployment in Pearl River County increased for the second month in a row.

Information provided in a Mississippi Department of Employment Security release states the rate of unemployment in the county was at 10 percent for the month of June. That is an increase from the previous month’s rate of 9.3 percent. A year ago in June the county’s unemployment rate was 11.8 percent.

Statewide the seasonally adjusted rate of unemployment also increased, though slightly, from May’s rate of 8.7 percent to June’s rate of 8.8 percent. In June of 2011 the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Mississippi was 10.8 percent, the release states.

Nationwide seasonally adjusted unemployment rates remained the same between May and June, holding steady at 8.2 percent. A year ago that rate was 9.1 percent.

Seasonally adjusted rates take into consideration patterns such as weather, holidays, school schedules and other regularly occurring events that contribute to employment rates. Only nationwide and statewide percentages are adjusted.

Unadjusted unemployment rates for Mississippi also increased. In May, the rate was 8.9 percent, but in June that rate increased to 9.8 percent. Last June the unadjusted unemployment rate in Mississippi was 11.6 percent.

Nationwide unadjusted unemployment rates also increased, from May’s figure of 7.9 percent to June’s rate of 8.4 percent. A year ago in June the nationwide unadjusted unemployment rate was 9.3 percent.

Twenty-five of the 82 counties in Mississippi reported unemployment rates less or equal to the statewide average. The release states the county with the lowest rate of unemployment is Rankin County, which reported a rate of 5.9 percent. Madison County came in second with a rate of 7.2 percent and Desoto County reported an unemployment rate of 7.3 percent.

There were eight counties with an unemployment rate more than 15 percent, including Clay County with 17.9 percent, Holmes County with 17.6 percent and Jefferson County with 17.3 percent.