Mississippi’s unemployment rate has reached a record low in state history for the second month in a row after totaling 3.4 percent in April.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Mississippi has continued to make state history by reporting a lower rate of unemployment after totaling 3.5 percent during the previous month.
In March, 18 other states had a decrease in unemployment rates, while 32 reported stable numbers. Compared to March of 2022, 11 states and the District of Columbia had jobless rate decreases, 10 states had increases, and 29 had little change.
Now, the BLS has released that 14 states throughout the nation have experienced a lower rate of unemployment while 36 states and the District of Columbia have reported stable numbers.
“Reaching a record low unemployment rate in back-to-back months speaks volumes to Mississippi’s momentum,” Governor Tate Reeves said. “Our education system is thriving, jobs are plentiful, and there are more opportunities than ever before. We’re making historic investments in workforce development and infrastructure and are attracting thousands of high-paying jobs to every region of the state. It’s a great day to be a Mississippian.”
The BLS added that the national unemployment rate, which is currently at 3.4 percent, had little changes within the past few months and last year.
South Dakota had the lowest jobless rate throughout the nation in April, with the state’s unemployment totaling in at 1.9 percent. The state with the next lowest rate of 2.0 percent was Nebraska, followed by New Hampshire and North Dakota at 2.1 percent.
In all, Mississippi ranked tenth in the U.S. for having the best jobless rates, while Nevada ranked the highest at 5.4 percent.
Last year, Mississippi was 0.3 percentage points higher, with the BLS reporting the state’s unemployment rate as being 3.7 percent.
Reeves attributed the drop in unemployment throughout the state to the over $6 billion in new economic development projects that were approved by Mississippi lawmakers in 2022.
The mentioned projects include the construction of the $2.5 billion Aluminum Dynamics facility located in Lowndes County, which is expected to create 1,000 jobs with an annual salary of $93,000.
