Panola’s jobless rate continues to decline

By Rita Howell
Mississippi’s unemployment rate fell in November to 4.8%, which is the lowest level of unemployment ever recorded in Mississippi, according to the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, which released its monthly report Thursday. The nation’s unemployment rate for November was 4.1 percent.
Panola County’s rate decreased from 6.1 percent in October to 5.9 percent in November. Panola is ranked 62nd out of the 82 counties, with Lamar County reporting the lowest jobless rate, 3.2 percent, and Jefferson County having the state’s highest unemployment, 10.9 percent.
Panola has a better rate than Quitman, 7.1 percent jobless. The other neighboring counties all report lower percentages: Lafayette, 3.6; Yalobusha, 4.8; Tallahatchie, 4.4; Tunica, 4.8; Tate, 4.6
The MDES reported that Panola had a labor force of 13,070 in November, with 12,300 employed and 770 jobless.
Last November the county’s jobless rate was 6.3 and five years ago, in November, 2012, the rate was 11.2.