Unemployment rates spiked noticeably in June throughout the Golden Triangle, a trend also evident on the state and national levels, according to data released by the Mississippi Department of Employment Security on Wednesday.
MDES noted in the monthly report the rise in jobless rates is more of a reflection of seasonal shifts in the labor market rather than a downturn in the economy. Historically, unemployment increases significantly from May to June as the full impact of working-age students entering the job market is felt.
Among the four Golden Triangle counties, that jump was most notably in Oktibbeha County, home of the state’s largest college student population. The jobless rate jumped from 6 percent in May to 7.7 percent in June. The jobless rate in Lowndes County increased by 0.7 percent. Clay County’s and Noxubee County’s unemployment rates increased by 1.4 percent and 0.8 percent respectively.
The State’s unemployment rate increased by 0.7 percent while the national unemployment rate was up by 0.3 percent compared to May’s rate.
However, compared to unemployment rates of June 2015, the rates are down in all of the Golden Triangle counties, which is also true of the state and national rates.
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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