Expert Says Mississippi’s Economy Is Still Behind National Average

JACKSON, Miss. (WCBI-TV) – One expert says Mississippi’s economy is still behind the national average.

State economist Darrin Webb told lawmakers Thursday that since 2000 the state has “struggled to gain momentum.” He says it’s growing but at a modest pace.

Mississippi had the second-lowest workforce participation rate in the country in 2016. Only 56 percent of people in the state who are 16 are older were working or actively looking for a job. The national average was nearly 63 percent.

The state has the highest poverty rate, 22.6 percent, and it ranks at or near the bottom of all studies on financial habits.