Mississippi’s population has almost stopped growing for the first time in 50 years. Mississippi has grown less than .7 percent since the year 2000.
Granted, our surrounding states are not booming either. The average growth of Mississippi’s four contiguous states is just three percent. Still, Mississippi is doing the worst of all.
If Mississippi were growing as much as its neighbors, we would have an extra 69,000 residents.
Growth in the United States over the last six years has been 4.7 percent. Growth in Texas has been 10.8 percent — 2.7 million people. That’s almost as much as the entire population of Mississippi.
Mississippi ranks 41st in population growth since 2000 compared to other states, based on U.S. Census estimates.
By comparison, Tennessee is growing quite nicely at 4.8 percent, 20th fastest in the nation. Louisiana grew 3.3 percent. Arkansas 2.1 percent and Alabama 1.7 percent.
In addition to population, other Mississippi economic and demographic indicators don’t look so hot. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released a report last week showing only 52.8 percent of Mississippians work, the second worst in the nation. Only West Virginia is lower.
That means almost half of Mississippians are either retired, in school, disabled or discouraged from finding work.
Even so, Mississippi’s unemployment rate has improved from 6.4 percent last year to 5.8 percent right now. The national unemployment rate is 4.9 percent.
State economist Darrin Webb presented a state economic report to the Legislature this month. There is both positive and negative in his report.
The worst news is the Mississippi inflation-adjusted gross domestic product (GDP) is lower than it was in 2008. We are just now recovering from the Great Recession. Mississippi’s GDP is about $95 billion. That puts us on par with Hungary, Ecuador, Angola and the Ukraine, all of which have much higher populations.
Webb’s report states, “Mississippi was not hit as hard in the recession as other states. However, the state’s recovery has been much slower. Mississippi’s slower growth persisted into 2016. Mississippi is one of eight states where the December 2016 employment was below that of December 2007.”
According to the report, there are 2.6 percent fewer jobs in Mississippi today than in 2007. Only New Mexico and Maine have fared worse.
So why is our state barely growing at the slowest rate in 50 years? Here are some of my thoughts:
Mississippi hospitals have always depended on federal reimbursements for uncompensated care of the poor. These reimbursements are being cut because of Medicaid expansion. Several rural hospitals have closed. The University Medical Center is facing $35 million uncompensated care cuts which the expansion of Medicaid is supposed to replace. The effects are felt statewide since in many communities the hospital is the largest employer.
Wyatt Emmerich is the editor and publisher of The Northside Sun, a weekly newspaper in Jackson. He can be reached by e-mail at [email protected].
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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