Oktibbeha County’s unemployment rate remained the same in November at 4 percent, while Starkville’s unemployment also remained at 3.4 percent in November, according to preliminary data from the Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES).
Year over year, the unemployment rate for Oktibbeha County fell from 4.4 percent in November 2016 to 4 percent in November 2017.
Oktibbeha County’s labor force, which consists of everyone who has a job or is looking for a job, was reported to be 23,530, with 22,580 listed as employed.
Oktibbeha County is tied for the12th lowest unemployment rate in the state along with Grenada County and Alcorn County.
Starkville’s labor force is reported at 12,720, with 12,280 holding jobs.
Other Golden Triangle county employment rates for November include: Chickasaw (4.9 percent), Choctaw (4.6 percent), Clay (6.1 percent), Lowndes (4.7 percent), Monroe (4.6 percent), Noxubee (6.8 percent), Webster (4.8 percent) and Winston (5.6 percent).
Unemployment in Oktibbeha County has also continued a steady trend of improvement since 2012, falling every year for the month of November since the 7 percent reported in November 2012.
For November, Lamar County had the lowest unemployment rate at 3.2 percent, which topped Rankin County after several straight months leading the state for the lowest countywide unemployment rate.
Jefferson County reported the highest unemployment rate at 10.9 percent, making it the only county in Mississippi to report unemployment higher than 10 percent.
Mississippi’s November unemployment rate was reported at 4.5 percent with 1,276,600 people making up the labor force and 1,219,200 employed.
In November 2016, Mississippi’s unemployment rate was at 5.8 percent, with 1,205,800 employed out of the 1,280,500 labor force.
Mississippi’s November unemployment rate continues to lag the nation unemployment rate at 3.9 percent.