Mississippi’s Unemployment Rate, Payrolls Both Dip In April

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – Mississippi’s jobless rate fell to 6 percent in April as people exited the labor force.

It’s the state’s lowest unemployment rate since January 2008, on the Great Recession’s cusp. Mississippi’s jobless rate dropped for the fourth straight month, down from 6.3 percent in March and 6.5 percent in April 2015.

Mississippi had the seventh-highest jobless rate among states in March, with Alaska and Illinois highest at 6.6 percent. The nationwide jobless rate was 5 percent.

Another survey shows Mississippi payrolls fell by 3,000 workers in April. Payrolls remained 15,000 above April 2015.

Both sets of figures, adjusted to cancel out seasonal changes, were released Friday by the U.S. Labor Department.

April saw 78,000 Mississippians unemployed, down 3,000 from March and 4,000 from April 2015, as fewer people sought work.