While today’s unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.
Experts are mixed in their views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession. The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.
But as of January 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.7%—unchanged from the previous month and up slightly from January 2023. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 1.9% in Maryland to 5.4% in Nevada.
Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Mississippi using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in December 2023, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County unemployment rates are released about a month behind the national numbers. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.
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#50. Lauderdale County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.7%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 27,768 people (749 unemployed)
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#49. Tunica County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,002 people (111 unemployed)
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#48. Stone County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,914 people (192 unemployed)
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#47. Winston County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,061 people (201 unemployed)
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#46. Newton County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,679 people (218 unemployed)
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#45. Copiah County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 10,703 people (301 unemployed)
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#44. Clay County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,202 people (267 unemployed)
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#43. Lincoln County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 14,172 people (414 unemployed)
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#42. Monroe County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 14,911 people (434 unemployed)
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#41. Warren County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 18,537 people (542 unemployed)
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#40. Jackson County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 56,574 people (1,647 unemployed)
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#39. Montgomery County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,807 people (113 unemployed)
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#38. Yalobusha County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,577 people (137 unemployed)
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#37. Attala County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,760 people (206 unemployed)
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#36. Bolivar County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 10,590 people (318 unemployed)
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#35. Wayne County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,773 people (211 unemployed)
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#34. Grenada County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,233 people (254 unemployed)
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#33. Neshoba County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,431 people (292 unemployed)
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#32. Carroll County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,154 people (102 unemployed)
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#31. Tallahatchie County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,455 people (141 unemployed)
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#30. Clarke County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,393 people (170 unemployed)
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#29. Jasper County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,702 people (185 unemployed)
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#28. Benton County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
— 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,974 people (98 unemployed)
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#27. Chickasaw County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,207 people (204 unemployed)
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#26. Lawrence County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,807 people (162 unemployed)
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#25. Panola County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 11,895 people (405 unemployed)
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#24. Marshall County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 14,043 people (483 unemployed)
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#23. Greene County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,051 people (142 unemployed)
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#22. Perry County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,201 people (146 unemployed)
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#21. Jefferson Davis County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,876 people (138 unemployed)
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#20. Amite County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,092 people (148 unemployed)
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#19. Walthall County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,692 people (169 unemployed)
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#18. George County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,483 people (307 unemployed)
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#17. Pike County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 13,525 people (482 unemployed)
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#16. Adams County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 10,508 people (407 unemployed)
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#15. Quitman County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Down 1.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,183 people (88 unemployed)
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#14. Kemper County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,073 people (122 unemployed)
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#13. Franklin County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,490 people (101 unemployed)
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#12. Coahoma County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,172 people (294 unemployed)
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#11. Leflore County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,876 people (373 unemployed)
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#10. Washington County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 14,044 people (610 unemployed)
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#9. Noxubee County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,223 people (141 unemployed)
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#8. Sunflower County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,957 people (313 unemployed)
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#7. Holmes County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,908 people (234 unemployed)
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#6. Wilkinson County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,534 people (127 unemployed)
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#5. Sharkey County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 1,179 people (60 unemployed)
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#4. Humphreys County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 1,873 people (117 unemployed)
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#3. Claiborne County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.7%
— 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,784 people (186 unemployed)
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#2. Issaquena County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.7%
— 1-month change: Up 1.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 298 people (23 unemployed)
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#1. Jefferson County
– December unemployment rate (preliminary): 10.4%
— 1-month change: Up 2.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 1,726 people (179 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.