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 February 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 are mixed in their 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 March 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.8%—down 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. Yalobusha County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,798 people (137 unemployed)
#49. Stone County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,880 people (200 unemployed)
#48. Grenada County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,143 people (235 unemployed)
#47. Tate County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,643 people (338 unemployed)
#46. Warren County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,668 people (543 unemployed)
#45. Oktibbeha County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,626 people (618 unemployed)
#44. Jackson County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 58,111 people (1,692 unemployed)
#43. Franklin County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,632 people (80 unemployed)
#42. Tallahatchie County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,949 people (147 unemployed)
#41. Attala County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,688 people (198 unemployed)
#39. Winston County (tie)
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,006 people (207 unemployed)
#39. Wayne County (tie)
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,817 people (207 unemployed)
#38. Clay County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,905 people (271 unemployed)
#37. Bolivar County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,092 people (338 unemployed)
#36. Montgomery County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,714 people (114 unemployed)
#35. Tunica County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,967 people (124 unemployed)
#34. Greene County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,180 people (131 unemployed)
#33. Copiah County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,629 people (325 unemployed)
#32. Marshall County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,691 people (422 unemployed)
#31. Monroe County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,317 people (439 unemployed)
#30. Yazoo County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,714 people (281 unemployed)
#29. Neshoba County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,696 people (313 unemployed)
#28. Carroll County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,998 people (98 unemployed)
#27. Lawrence County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,607 people (151 unemployed)
#26. Chickasaw County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,004 people (201 unemployed)
#25. Newton County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,557 people (247 unemployed)
#24. Perry County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,188 people (142 unemployed)
#23. Amite County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,175 people (144 unemployed)
#22. Clarke County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,418 people (185 unemployed)
#21. Jasper County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,750 people (193 unemployed)
#20. George County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,676 people (304 unemployed)
#19. Pike County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,773 people (481 unemployed)
#18. Panola County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,931 people (431 unemployed)
#17. Walthall County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,859 people (178 unemployed)
#16. Jefferson Davis County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,804 people (147 unemployed)
#15. Kemper County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,106 people (125 unemployed)
#14. Quitman County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,188 people (90 unemployed)
#13. Adams County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,167 people (417 unemployed)
#12. Coahoma County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,131 people (302 unemployed)
#11. Noxubee County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,300 people (147 unemployed)
#10. Sunflower County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,381 people (330 unemployed)
#9. Leflore County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,467 people (385 unemployed)
#8. Washington County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,998 people (634 unemployed)
#7. Wilkinson County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,513 people (121 unemployed)
#6. Holmes County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,905 people (244 unemployed)
#5. Sharkey County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,099 people (63 unemployed)
#4. Issaquena County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 2.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 283 people (18 unemployed)
#3. Humphreys County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,865 people (125 unemployed)
#2. Claiborne County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 2.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,811 people (200 unemployed)
#1. Jefferson County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 10.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 3.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,748 people (176 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
