By Rita Howell
Unemployment in Panola County decreased from 10.2 percent in May to 9.9 percent in June, according to the latest figures from the Mississippi Department of Employment Security. Panola’s jobless rate is 2.9 percent higher that the state average of 7. The national average for June was 5.5.

According to MDES preliminary estimates, 13,810 people in Panola were employed during the month out of a labor force of 12,440, with 1,370 unemployed.

The June rate was an improvement over last June when the county reported a jobless rate of 11.9 percent. Five years ago the county’s unemployment rate for June was 13.6 percent.
 Mississippi’s unadjusted unemployment rate for June 2015 was unchanged over the month at 7.0 percent.  When compared to the 

June 2014 rate of 8.5 percent, the rate decreased 1.5 percentage points. The number of unemployed increased 1,000 over the month, while the employed total increased 11,500 from the prior month.

    For the month of June 2015, 28 counties in Mississippi  posted unemployment rates less than or equal to the state’s rate of 

7.0 percent.  Rankin County posted the lowest unemployment rate for the month of June at 4.1 percent followed by DeSoto and Madison Counties at 4.9 percent.

Issaquena County had the highest unemployment rate for June at 17.9 percent followed by Jefferson County at 16.0 percent. Panola is ranked 66th out of the 82 counties.

 In comparison to the six surrounding counties, the  Panola unemployment rate was higher than Tate (7.8), Lafayette (6.0), Yalobusha (7.7), Tallahatchie (7.7), and lower than Quitman (12.5) and Tunica (10.7).