Pearl River County has been experiencing a significantly lower unemployment rate from last year. State wide unemployment also is on the fall.

In the county, the unemployment rate for October 2006 was 5.9, down from 6.2 percent in September. Still, those numbers are a far cry from what the county experienced last year in October. According to Mississippi Employment Security Commission, figures for unemployment in October right after Hurricane Katrina was 17.1 percent.

State wide unemployment figures are also on the fall. Figures in the report state that in September the rate was at 6.8, in October the rate fell to 6.6.

In the counties surrounding Pearl River, Lamar showed a decrease in the past month as well. In September,the rate was 4.4 but in October the rate fell to 4.1. Hancock’s rate decreased half a percent from September’s 7.7 percent to October’s 7.2 percent. Stone also experienced a decrease with September showing 9.7 percent dropping in October to 8.3 percent. Marion County showed a small decrease from September’s 7 percent to October’s 6.8 percent. Forrest was the only county to show an increase in unemployment from September’s 5.3 percent to October’s 5.4 percent.

“Most counties reported unemployment rates that were similar to, or lower than, amounts in September, except areas affected by local layoffs,” said Chief of Labor Market Information Wayne Gasson in the release.

Mississippi’s statewide October unemployment rate of 6.6 percent was higher than the national average of 4.1 percent, the release states. The counties with the highest unemployment rates were Clay county with 15.7 percent and Noxubee and Jefferson running a close second with 12.5 percent, the release states.

“Historically the addition of retail jobs during the holiday season will cause a drop in the unemployment rate for November,” Gasson said.