Panola jobless rate trending down

By Rita Howell
Panola’s unemployment rate for August dropped nearly a percentage point, mirroring a dip in the statewide jobless rate.
The report released this week by the Mississippi Department of Employment Security cited Panola with a rate of 6.7 percent, a drop from the July rate of 7.9. The state’s rate of 5.7 is a drop from the August rate of 6.5. The nation’s unemployment rate is down slightly, from 5.1 percent in July to 5.0 in August.
Panola continues to enjoy a decline in unemployment reflected in the reports this summer. The June rate was 8.2; July, 7.9; August, 6.7.
Last August the county’s jobless rate was 7.7 and five years ago it was 13.1.
Compared with the six surrounding counties, Panola’s rate is higher than those of Tunica (6.2), Tate (5.4), Lafayette (4.9), Yalobusha (6.0) and Tallahatchie (5.7), and lower than Quitman’s rate of 8.3.
The county has an estimated labor force of 13,470, with 12,570 people employed and 900 unemployed, according to the MDES.
Panola’s ranking has improved to 49th among the 82 counties. The highest rate is consistently recorded by Rankin, with a jobless rate of 3.8 for August. The worst ranking is held by Jefferson County, with a rate of 15.2 percent.