By Rita Howell
Panola County’s unemployment rate of 9.8 percent for October was up one-tenth of a percentage point over the September rate.

The latest figures from the Mississippi Department of Employment  Security show that Panola County’s October unemployment rate is  2.5 points above the state average of 7.3 percent.
The MDES reported that 13,020 people were employed from a labor force of 14,430 in Panola County in October, leaving 1,410 unemployed, or 9.8 percent.

In October, 2013, Panola’s unemployment rate was 10.7

Five years ago, in 2009, the county’s unemployment rate was 12.9.

 Mississippi’s unadjusted unemployment rate for October 2014 was  7.3 percent, decreasing one-tenth of a percentage point from the  previous month’s rate of 7.4 percent. When compared to the October  2013 rate of 8.2 percent, the rate decreased nine-tenths of a  percentage point.
The nation’s unadjusted unemployment rate for October 2014 at 5.5  percent decreased two-tenths of a percentage point over the month,  and was 1.5 percentage point lower than the year ago rate of 7.0  percent.

For the month of October 2014, 27 counties in Mississippi posted  unemployment rates less than or equal to the state’s rate of 7.3  percent.

 Panola is ranked 64th highest among the 82 counties, with Rankin County posting the lowest unemployment rate for the month  of October at 4.6 percent. Clay County had the highest unemployment  rate for October at 15.1 percent.

Counties surrounding Panola reported the following unemployment rates: Lafayette, 5.3; Yalobusha, 8; Tallahatchie, 8.4; Quitman, 10.7; Tunica, 12.8; Tate, 7.4.