The Mississippi Department of Employment Security has released the latest numbers for the month of June. MDES says Mississippi saw an unemployment rate near historic lows and the number of jobs at historic high.
Mississippi’s unemployment rate in June 2018 was 4.7%, the third lowest level of unemployment ever recorded in Mississippi. The June rate is the same as a month earlier in May 2018 and five-tenths of a percentage point lower than a year ago in June 2017, when the rate was 5.2%.
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The number of non-farm jobs in Mississippi rose by 2,800 in June to 1,168,300, which are the most jobs ever recorded in Mississippi.
Over the year since June 2017, the number of jobs in our state increased by 17,500. These job numbers are based on a survey of employers. This employer survey is recognized as the most reliable indicator of job growth.
The Labor Force, which is made up of everyone who has a job or is looking for a job, increased in June by 3,300 to 1,281,600. Over the year since June 2017, the Labor Force rose by 700.
In addition, the number of people working in Mississippi rose in June by 2,200 to 1,221,000, which is the highest number of Mississippians with jobs since June 2008.
For the year since June 2017, employment in our state increased by 6,600.
The MDES says as more individuals entered the labor force, the number of unemployed Mississippians increased by 1,100 in June to 60,600; however, over the year since June 2017, the number of unemployed Mississippians decreased by 5,900.
