Highest level ever recorded in state
Back before the pandemic, Mississippi traditionally had an unemployment rate higher than the national average. But for March of this year, seasonally adjusted unemployment was 3.9%—lower than the national average of 4.2% that month. Not only that, but the state has record-breaking employment, said Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES) Chief Economist Mary Willoughby.
“The number of Mississippians employed in March 2025 of this year is the highest number ever recorded in the state, 1,243,167,” said Willoughby. “The number of jobs in the state is good. For the past nine months, the number of total jobs has remained at the highest level ever recorded before that point. That is seasonally adjusted so it is taking seasonal patterns out. People are seeing opportunities and deciding it is time to go back into the labor force. There is a chance to get a job now.”
The unemployment figures are based on people actively looking for a job. If you are able, available, and seeking employment, and don’t have a job, you’re considered unemployed. If you have a job, you are in the labor force and employed. Some people are retired, disabled or staying at home to care for children or parents. They are not looking for a job right now and aren’t included in the unemployment rates. If people are not seeking a job, they also aren’t included in the unemployment statistics.
Willoughby said increasing numbers of Mississippians have decided the job prospects are good so they are seeking and gaining employment. Mississippi has come off a couple of years of record-breaking economic development. Willoughby said those projects have helped provide more employment opportunities.
“Economic development projects, such as the Amazon data center currently under construction in Ridgeland, create employment opportunities even before operations begin,” said Willoughby. “These positions span a wide range of occupations critical to building the infrastructure that supports business activity.”
The lowest seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate in the state is Rankin County at 2.8%. The next three lowest at 3.2% are Madison, Lafayette and Hancock counties. Lamar County was at 3.3% and Forrest County was 3.8%. Hattiesburg straddles those two counties.
The county with highest unemployment for March 2025 is Issaquena at 11.6%. It’s a small county without many residents or employers. The next highest is Jefferson County at 9.9 and Claiborne at 8.8%. Both are located in the less populated southwest corner of the state.
“Urban areas typically have lower unemployment rates because there are more jobs and economic activity there,” said Willoughby.
Willoughby attributed part of the employment success coming out of the pandemic is that Mississippi wasn’t shut down with covid restrictions as long as some other states. It’s hard for businesses that have to be closed for a year or more to be able to maintain their services or products.
Employment figures do not include active-duty military or anyone in a nursing home or correctional facility.
MDES makes it easy for job hunters. They can visit a local WIN Job Center or go online to use an app called Mississippi Works that lists job openings allowing people to register to be matched with job openings.
“Our online employment services and mobile app provide a wide range of career opportunities for job seekers.” said Willougby. “These tools also offer employers effective ways to connect with qualified candidates actively seeking employment.”
The primary responsibility of MDES is to help individual job seekers, but that goes hand-in-hand with helping employers, said Deputy Executive Director of Workforce Programs and Services for MDES Jason Pope.
“We work closely with businesses across Mississippi,” said Pope. “We have Governor’s Job Fairs all over the state where we recruit businesses to come set up booths. We also do local job fairs at WIN Job Centers. It doesn’t matter if it is mom-and-pop businesses or large corporations. We cater to their specific needs. We can promote the job fair, invite people to come for the job fair, and use our database to locate individuals who meet the education and skill requirements for the jobs that need to be filled. We find out exactly what employers are looking for, identify individuals with those skills and invite them to the job fair.”
Currently with such a tight labor market, it can be harder for businesses to find employees. That is particularly true with jobs that require specific skill sets. Pope said MDES can scan the entire state looking for job seekers who fit the needs of employers.
“Just this morning we were down in Greene County at a medical facility,” said Pope. “We work closely with schools, hospitals, other types of businesses and with industries, and it is totally free for everyone. It is free to post jobs and free for any Mississippians to apply.”
Recently MDES held a job fair in Jackson that attracted more than 1,000 people including quite a few graduating high school seniors. While some high school grads will head off to college, others want a full-time job.
In 2024, 30 Governor’s Job Fairs served 1,003 employers and 6,857 applicants for jobs at those fairs. Job offers made the day of fairs were 2,116. The total number of estimated people hired from job fairs was 4,847. Pope said those are just their big job fairs and MDES also held about 500 smaller job fairs in 2024.
As technology has evolved, so have the state’s employment services. MDES has a mobile unit used for jobs fairs, and is planning to have kiosks across the state including in more rural areas. The kiosks allow people to hit one button to reach a call center in Jackson for assistance finding a job.
“The MDES mission is to help Mississippians get jobs,” said Pope. “The goal is to get folks back to work as fast as possible and reduce their duration of unemployment. And, we’re doing just that, helping people get jobs every day.”
