Jobless rate for Panola is 7 percent

By Rita Howell
Panola County’s unemployment rate for October declined slightly, to 7 percent, according to figures released this week from the Mississippi Department of Employment Security.
In September the county’s jobless rate was 7.1 percent.
The statewide average for October was 5.7 and the national rate was 4.7.
Among surrounding counties, Panola’s rate was higher than Tate (5.6), Lafayette (4.6), Yalobusha (5.5), Tallahatchie (5.4) and Tunica (6.1) and lower than Quitman’s rate of 8.9.
In the statewide ranking, Panola is 59th. Rankin County is at the top of the heap with 4.1 percent unemployment, and at the bottom is Jefferson County, with 11.4 percent jobless.
The MDES lists Panola’s labor force at 13,610, with 12,660 employed during October, and 950 unemployed.
A year ago Panola’s jobless rate was listed as 8.2. Five years ago, in October, 2011, the county had an unemployment rate of 13.2 percent.