Unemployment within Pearl River County increased by two tenths of a point between the months of January and February of this year.

According to information released by the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, Pearl River County’s unemployment rate for the month of February was 7.5 percent, a slight increase from January’s rate of 7.3 percent.

A year ago in February the unemployment rate in Pearl River County was 9.8 percent, the report states.

Statewide, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Mississippi for February was 7.4 percent, a slight decrease from the previous month’s rate of 7.5 percent. In February of 2013 the state’s adjusted unemployment rate was 9 percent.

Nationwide, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in February was 6.7 percent, a slight increase from the previous month’s rate of 6.6 percent.

A year ago the nationwide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 7.7 percent.

Seasonally adjusted rates factor in patterns such as weather, holidays, school schedules and other regular occurrences that affect employment rates. Only nationwide and statewide percentages are adjusted.

Mississippi’s unadjusted rate for February was 8 percent, the report states. The state’s unadjusted rate for January was 7.9 percent.

The unadjusted rate for Mississippi in February 2013 was 9.4 percent.

Nationwide, the unadjusted unemployment rate in February was 7 percent, the same as January’s rate. In February of 2013 the unadjusted unemployment rate in the United States was 8.1 percent.

Of Mississippi’s 82 counties, 27 reported rates less than the statewide-unadjusted average of 8 percent. Rankin County reported the best rate for the month with 4.8 percent. Scott County reported an unemployment rate for February of 5.5 percent.

Tunica County reported the highest rate of 17.3 percent while Clay County reported the second highest rate of 16.7 percent.