Counties with the highest unemployment in Mississippi
Counties with the highest unemployment in Mississippi
While today's unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.
Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Mississippi using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in March 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.
Experts have mixed views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession.
The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.
But as of April 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.9%—up slightly from the previous month. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2% in North Dakota to 5.3% in California.
Read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Mississippi.
#50. Winston County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,032 people (191 unemployed)
#49. Marion County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,998 people (266 unemployed)
#48. Warren County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,718 people (501 unemployed)
#47. Oktibbeha County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,582 people (581 unemployed)
#46. Lowndes County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 24,501 people (653 unemployed)
#45. Jones County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 24,734 people (661 unemployed)
#44. Jackson County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 58,742 people (1,568 unemployed)
#43. Montgomery County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,726 people (104 unemployed)
#42. Tunica County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,962 people (110 unemployed)
#41. Yalobusha County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,784 people (136 unemployed)
#40. Copiah County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,661 people (297 unemployed)
#39. Tate County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,608 people (320 unemployed)
#38. Benton County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,903 people (84 unemployed)
#37. Attala County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,729 people (194 unemployed)
#36. Newton County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,586 people (223 unemployed)
#35. Bolivar County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,137 people (325 unemployed)
#34. Marshall County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,627 people (396 unemployed)
#33. Monroe County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,320 people (411 unemployed)
#32. Wayne County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,834 people (203 unemployed)
#31. Yazoo County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,740 people (263 unemployed)
#30. Neshoba County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,654 people (288 unemployed)
#29. Carroll County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,000 people (93 unemployed)
#28. Perry County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,184 people (129 unemployed)
#27. Franklin County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,648 people (85 unemployed)
#26. Amite County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,189 people (132 unemployed)
#25. Lawrence County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,648 people (149 unemployed)
#24. Clarke County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,416 people (175 unemployed)
#23. Chickasaw County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,005 people (191 unemployed)
#22. George County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,740 people (282 unemployed)
#21. Pike County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,793 people (446 unemployed)
#20. Jasper County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,786 people (192 unemployed)
#19. Walthall County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,863 people (165 unemployed)
#18. Clay County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,041 people (304 unemployed)
#17. Panola County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,988 people (402 unemployed)
#16. Jefferson Davis County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,830 people (135 unemployed)
#15. Quitman County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,196 people (78 unemployed)
#14. Kemper County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,113 people (116 unemployed)
#13. Adams County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,159 people (375 unemployed)
#12. Sunflower County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,433 people (288 unemployed)
#11. Noxubee County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,284 people (134 unemployed)
#10. Coahoma County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,149 people (292 unemployed)
#9. Washington County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,984 people (574 unemployed)
#8. Leflore County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,465 people (352 unemployed)
#7. Wilkinson County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,511 people (109 unemployed)
#6. Holmes County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,930 people (223 unemployed)
#5. Sharkey County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,090 people (56 unemployed)
#4. Issaquena County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 283 people (15 unemployed)
#3. Humphreys County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,856 people (114 unemployed)
#2. Claiborne County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,796 people (172 unemployed)
#1. Jefferson County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,713 people (142 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
