Wire Report

In December the number of nonfarm jobs in Mississippi rose to 1,173,000, which are the most jobs ever recorded in Mississippi. December was the third month in a row in which the number of jobs broke the previous record.

The number of jobs in Mississippi increased by 400 in December. Over the year since December 2017, the number of jobs in our state increased by 11,000.

Mississippi’s unemployment rate in December 2018 was 4.7 percent, the third lowest level of unemployment ever recorded in Mississippi. The unemployment rate has now been at, or below, 4.8 percent for 15 months.

The December rate is the same as a month earlier in November 2018 and one-tenth of a percentage point lower than a year ago in December 2017, when the rate was 4.8 percent.

The Labor Force, which is made up of everyone who has a job or is looking for a job, declined in December by 3,100 to 1,281,100; however, over the year since December 2017, the Labor Force rose by 3,600.

The number of unemployed Mississippians in December was 60,100, which was the same as a month earlier in November; however, over the year since December 2017, the number of unemployed Mississippians is down by 800.

The number of people working in Mississippi declined in December by 3,100 to 1,221,000, but for the year since December 2017, employment in the state increased by 4,400.

The county-by-county breakdown of unemployment will be available later in the month.