By David Howell

Panola County’s unemployment rate went up in September to 12.3 percent.

That is up 1.3 percent from August’s rate of 11 percent, according to the latest numbers from the Mississippi Department of Employment Security.

The September report shows there were 200 more people working that month (12,830) than in August (12,630). But the total labor force in September had increased to 14,640, up 420 people from August.

The labor force is defined as the estimated number of people eligible for work or actively looking for work.

The 12.3 percent rate is lower than the September 2009 rate of 12.8 percent. However, the average rate for September during the preceding four years was only 8.6 percent.

The initial unemployment insurance claims dropped in September, going from 179 in August to 148 in September. Continuing claims also dropped in September, going from   in 2,195 in August to 1,608 in September.

Mississippi’s unemployment rate for September 2010 was 9.6 percent, an increase of seven-tenths of a percentage point from the previous month’s rate of 8.9 percent. When compared to the September 2009 rate of 9.5 percent, the rate increased one-tenth of a percentage point. The number of unemployed increased 10,000 over the month, while the employed total increased 6,500 from the prior month.

The nation’s unemployment rate for September 2010 at 9.2 percent was down three-tenths of a percentage point over the month and over the year.

For the month of September 2010, only eighteen counties in Mississippi posted unemployment rates less than the state’s rate of 9.6 percent.

Rankin County posted the lowest unemployment rate for the month of September at 6.1 percent followed by Madison County at 6.9 percent. Five counties reported rates greater than 15.0 percent. Noxubee County had the highest unemployment rate for September at 19.9 percent followed by Clay County at 18.0 percent.