While significantly lower than the alarming pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, unemployment rates remain a subject of concern, though experts’ views on a potential recession are mixed. The last economic recession—the Great Recession of 2007-2009—sent rates up to 10% as of October 2009. It was not until the spring of 2019 that unemployment finally went down to the same level it sits at now.
As of May 2023, national unemployment is at 3.4%, with little change from April. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 1.9% in South Dakota 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 May 2023, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.
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#50. Winston County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,109 people (222 unemployed)
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#49. Marion County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,838 people (301 unemployed)
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#48. Neshoba County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,771 people (306 unemployed)
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#47. Lowndes County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 24,537 people (771 unemployed)
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#46. Lauderdale County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 28,446 people (884 unemployed)
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#45. Jackson County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 58,323 people (1,826 unemployed)
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#44. Tunica County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,106 people (133 unemployed)
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#43. Clarke County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,495 people (175 unemployed)
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#42. Newton County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,945 people (257 unemployed)
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#41. Hancock County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 18,873 people (596 unemployed)
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#40. Yazoo County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
— 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,874 people (291 unemployed)
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#39. Copiah County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 10,794 people (352 unemployed)
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#38. Carroll County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,180 people (107 unemployed)
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#37. Tallahatchie County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,531 people (156 unemployed)
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#36. Lawrence County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,812 people (166 unemployed)
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#35. Jasper County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,821 people (196 unemployed)
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#34. Attala County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,919 people (232 unemployed)
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#33. Grenada County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 8,329 people (283 unemployed)
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#32. Marshall County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 14,050 people (474 unemployed)
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#31. Warren County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 18,870 people (637 unemployed)
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#30. Perry County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,194 people (147 unemployed)
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#29. Wayne County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,920 people (240 unemployed)
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#28. Yalobusha County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,675 people (166 unemployed)
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#27. Bolivar County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 10,934 people (395 unemployed)
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#26. Pike County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 13,816 people (499 unemployed)
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#25. Benton County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,004 people (112 unemployed)
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#24. George County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,764 people (323 unemployed)
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#23. Panola County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 12,076 people (448 unemployed)
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#22. Jefferson Davis County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
— 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,891 people (147 unemployed)
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#21. Amite County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
— 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,232 people (160 unemployed)
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#20. Monroe County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 15,251 people (601 unemployed)
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#19. Walthall County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,834 people (191 unemployed)
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#18. Chickasaw County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,327 people (250 unemployed)
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#17. Greene County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,145 people (168 unemployed)
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#16. Adams County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 10,658 people (440 unemployed)
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#15. Kemper County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
— 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,194 people (138 unemployed)
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#14. Franklin County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,587 people (114 unemployed)
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#13. Noxubee County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,327 people (148 unemployed)
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#12. Sunflower County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,125 people (313 unemployed)
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#11. Leflore County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,969 people (408 unemployed)
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#10. Quitman County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
— 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,296 people (107 unemployed)
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#9. Coahoma County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,441 people (375 unemployed)
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#8. Washington County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 14,264 people (710 unemployed)
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#7. Wilkinson County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
— 1-month change: Up 0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,590 people (137 unemployed)
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#6. Holmes County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
— 1-month change: Up 1.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,089 people (296 unemployed)
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#5. Humphreys County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.3%
— 1-month change: Up 1.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 1,952 people (122 unemployed)
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#4. Claiborne County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.7%
— 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,824 people (189 unemployed)
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#3. Sharkey County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.3%
— 1-month change: Down 2.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 2.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 1,320 people (96 unemployed)
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#2. Issaquena County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.9%
— 1-month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 316 people (25 unemployed)
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#1. Jefferson County
– May unemployment rate (preliminary): 10.2%
— 1-month change: Up 1.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 3.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 1,803 people (184 unemployed)