By Jeremy Pittari, Item Staff Writer
The Picayune Item
PICAYUNE —
Unemployment in Pearl River County fell by almost a percentage point between the months of October and November.
According to information released by the Mississippi Department of Employment Security the unemployment rate in Pearl River County for the month of November was 7.7 percent, a decrease from October’s rate of 8.6 percent.
In November of 2011 the county’s unemployment rate was 10.3 percent. Statewide the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 8.5 percent in November, a decrease from October’s rate of 8.9 percent. Last year in the month of November the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 10.6 percent.
Nationwide unemployment also decreased, but not as much as on the state and local level. According to the release the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for November was 7.7 percent, a decrease from October’s rate of 7.9 percent. Last year in November the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 8.7 percent, the release states.
Seasonally adjusted rates take into consideration patterns such as weather, holidays, school schedules and other regularly occurring events that contribute to employment rates. Only nationwide and statewide percentages are adjusted.
Mississippi’s unadjusted unemployment rates for the month of November is reported to have been 7.5 percent, also a decrease from October’s rate of 8.3 percent. A year ago in November the unadjusted unemployment rate was 9.8 percent.
Nationwide the unadjusted unemployment rate was 7.4 percent for November, only a slight decrease from the previous month’s rate of 7.5 percent, the release states. In November of 2011 the unadjusted rate was 8.2 percent.
In November 26 of Mississippi’s 82 counties reported unemployment rates less than the state’s average of 7.5 percent, the release states. Rankin County had the least amount of unemployment, reporting 4.6 percent, with DeSoto County and Madison County reporting 5.3 percent unemployment.
Clay County reported the most unemployment, with 16.1 percent and Issaquena County had an unemployment rate of 13.8 percent.
