The unemployment rate in Pearl River County has been on a steady decline while the statewide average continues to break records.

Pearl River County’s unemployment rate was ranked 22nd out of 82 counties in Mississippi during January.

According to information released by the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, the unemployment rate in Pearl River County during the month of January was 4.4 percent, a decrease from December’s revised rate of 4.5 percent. In January of 2017, the unemployment rate was 6.4 percent in the county.

Statewide, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in January was 4.6 percent, a slight decrease from December’s revised rate of 4.8 percent. According to the release, January’s rate is the lowest the state has seen since January of 1976, when the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics began keeping records.

In January of 2017, Mississippi’s adjusted unemployment rate was 5.4 percent.

Nationwide, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in January was 4.1 percent, the same as the previous month’s rate.

In January of last year, the nationwide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.8 percent.

Seasonally adjusted rates take into account annual patterns such as weather, holidays, school schedules and other occurrences that affect employment rates. Only nationwide and statewide percentages are adjusted.

Mississippi’s unadjusted rate for January was 4.6 percent, up from December’s rate of 4.4, the report states.

Mississippi’s unadjusted rate for January 2017 was 6.1 percent.

Nationwide, the unadjusted unemployment rate for January was 4.5 percent, an increase from the previous month’s rate of 3.9. In January of the previous year, the unadjusted unemployment rate in the United States was 5.1 percent.

Of Mississippi’s 82 counties, 29 reported unemployment rates at or below the statewide-unadjusted 4.6 percent average.

Rankin and Union counties reported the lowest unemployment during January 2017 with 3.1 percent with Madison County following closely behind with a rate of 3.3 percent.

Jefferson County reported the highest rate, at 13.3 percent, with Humphreys County reporting 9.7 percent.