Unemployment within Pearl River County decreased by half of a percentage point between the months of June and July of this year.

According to information released by the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, Pearl River County’s unemployment rate for the month of June was 8.5 percent, which was a half point higher than July’s 8 percent.

Pearl River County’s unemployment rate in July of 2013 was 8.6 percent, the report states.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Mississippi for July was 8 percent, a slight increase from the previous month’s revised rate of 7.9 percent. In July of 2013 Mississippi’s adjusted unemployment rate was 8.7 percent.

Nationwide, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in July was 6.2 percent, a slight increase June’s revised rate of 6.1 percent.

A year ago in July the nationwide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 7.3 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 July was 8.6 percent, the report states. The state’s unadjusted revised rate for June was 8.8 percent.

Mississippi’s unadjusted rate for July 2013 was 9.1 percent.

Nationwide, the unadjusted unemployment rate in July was 6.5 percent, an increase from June’s rate of 6.3 percent. In July of 2013 the unadjusted unemployment rate in the United States was 7.7 percent.

Twenty-eight of Mississippi’s 82 counties reported rates less than the statewide-unadjusted average of 8.6 percent for the month of June. Rankin County reported the least amount of unemployment with 4.7 percent. Lamar County followed with a rate of 5.8 percent.

Holmes County reported a population of the most unemployed with a rate of 19 percent while Tunica County reported the second highest rate of 18.4 percent.