Counties with the highest unemployment in Mississippi

The first jobs report under the new Trump administration showed a stable job market, with the unemployment rate ticking down from 4.1% to 4% in January, the lowest since last May, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics figures released Feb. 7.

The report marks 49 consecutive months of overall job growth, the second-longest recorded period since 1939.

Job losses that did occur were concentrated in the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction industries, which declined by 8,000 jobs over the month. There was little change in employment in other major industries.

To get a glimpse of regional variations in employment, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates Mississippi, using BLS data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in December 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.

Key takeaways: Jobs report reveals cooling labor market

January's job growth of 143,000 fell short of expectations, while the downward revision of 589,000 fewer jobs in 2024 suggests the labor market was weaker last year than initially thought.

Business leaders are starting to display more caution, with 67% of executives reporting higher stress levels heading into 2025, according to a survey of 1,000 executives by Sentry, a business insurance company. Among survey respondents, 47% citing economic uncertainty as their biggest concern.

"We have what I would describe as a robust but frozen labor market," Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY-Parthenon, told The New York Times, noting that while unemployment remains low, there's very little churn or employee turnover as "businesses are being cautious as to how they manage their work force."

Moody's Analytics projects monthly payroll gains could slow to around 100,000 by year-end.

The big story: Potential for economic headwinds grows

Behind the "Now Hiring" signs and modest unemployment rate, there's growing concern on Main Street that the economy might be more fragile than it appears.

"You've already got companies hiring as if they're in a recession—even if they're not laying people off," Oliver Allen, senior U.S. economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, told CNN. Average unemployment duration, a lagging indicator, rose from 20.8 weeks in January 2024 to 22 in January of this year.

Tightening trade regulations and federal trimming could also have an impact on the job market. Experts predict the U.S. gross domestic product could take a hit due to increased tariffs. The U.S. government is the country's largest employer and contributes 36% to the GDP.

Sudden cuts to federal spending advocated by the new administration could hit the economy hard. One example of the potential fallout is that if prices were to increase further due to higher tariffs, consumer purchasing power would decline, stymieing economic growth.

Whether the effects of slashing the workforce and the budget will be exceeded by Trump's plans to loosen business regulations and cut taxes remains to be seen.

To get a better idea of your community's current economy, read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Mississippi.

48. Lincoln County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: +0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,936 people (540 unemployed)

48. Jones County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: +0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 25,780 people (920 unemployed)

48. Lowndes County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 25,642 people (933 unemployed)

44. Jackson County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: +0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 61,246 people (2,250 unemployed)

44. Tishomingo County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: +0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,396 people (307 unemployed)

44. Grenada County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,450 people (310 unemployed)

44. Monroe County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,691 people (550 unemployed)

37. Neshoba County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: +0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,221 people (392 unemployed)

37. Montgomery County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: +0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,912 people (149 unemployed)

37. Yalobusha County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: +0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,845 people (183 unemployed)

37. Winston County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: +0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,408 people (280 unemployed)

37. Attala County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: +0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,099 people (271 unemployed)

37. Warren County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: +0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,566 people (746 unemployed)

37. Stone County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: +0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,233 people (278 unemployed)

31. Copiah County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,131 people (430 unemployed)

31. Clarke County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: +0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,693 people (224 unemployed)

31. Marshall County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: +0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,369 people (559 unemployed)

31. Yazoo County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: +0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,142 people (355 unemployed)

31. Bolivar County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: +0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,737 people (459 unemployed)

31. Perry County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: +0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,400 people (173 unemployed)

30. Benton County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: +0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,047 people (121 unemployed)

28. Wayne County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: +0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,242 people (307 unemployed)

28. Amite County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: +0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,409 people (186 unemployed)

23. Jasper County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: +0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,013 people (258 unemployed)

23. Chickasaw County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,190 people (265 unemployed)

23. Pike County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: +0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,581 people (626 unemployed)

23. Lawrence County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: +0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,960 people (214 unemployed)

23. Greene County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: +0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,491 people (192 unemployed)

21. Walthall County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: +0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,048 people (223 unemployed)

21. Carroll County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,191 people (140 unemployed)

19. Panola County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: +0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,695 people (566 unemployed)

19. Tunica County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: +0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,154 people (185 unemployed)

18. George County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: +0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,249 people (425 unemployed)

17. Jefferson Davis County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: +0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,123 people (197 unemployed)

16. Adams County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: +0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,953 people (542 unemployed)

15. Noxubee County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5%
--- 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,443 people (172 unemployed)

12. Kemper County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,260 people (165 unemployed)

12. Quitman County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,321 people (119 unemployed)

12. Franklin County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: +0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,807 people (143 unemployed)

11. Sunflower County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,898 people (412 unemployed)

10. Washington County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,610 people (795 unemployed)

9. Issaquena County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
--- 1-month change: -2.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -2.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 307 people (17 unemployed)

8. Leflore County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.6%
--- 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,970 people (500 unemployed)

6. Holmes County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
--- 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,134 people (300 unemployed)

6. Coahoma County (tie)

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
--- 1-month change: +0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,542 people (435 unemployed)

5. Wilkinson County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
--- 1-month change: +0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,614 people (154 unemployed)

4. Sharkey County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.1%
--- 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,148 people (70 unemployed)

3. Humphreys County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.9%
--- 1-month change: +1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,967 people (156 unemployed)

2. Claiborne County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.4%
--- 1-month change: +1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,967 people (248 unemployed)

1. Jefferson County

December unemployment rate (preliminary): 13.3%
--- 1-month change: +1.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +2.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,854 people (246 unemployed)

This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Ben Popken, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.