Webster County's preliminary unemployment rate dropped to 11.4 percent in April, down two percentage points from March, according to figures from the Mississippi Department of Employment Security released May 28.
March's revised rate was 13.4 percent and the unemployment rate a year ago was 8 percent.
Looking at a five-year comparison, Webster's highest April rate was at 8.3 percent in 2007. The lowest was in 2006 when it was at 7 percent.
The April rates in adjoining counties were:
¥ Calhoun, 11.4percent.
¥ Choctaw, 12 percent.
¥ Chickasaw, 12.8 percent.
¥ Clay, 15 percent.
¥ Grenada, 12.2 percent.
¥ Montgomery, 13.5 percent.
¥ Oktibbeha, 6.6 percent.
Statewide, the not seasonally adjusted jobless rate in April was 8.6 percent, down from 9.4 percent in March but significantly higher than one year ago, when the rate was 5.6 percent.
The nation's not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased over the month from 9 to 8.6 percent for April and was elevated significantly when compared to the year-ago rate of 4.8 percent.
When adjusted for seasonal factors, the national rate increased over the month from 8.5 to 8.9 percent for April and was almost four percentage points higher than the April 2008 rate of 5 percent. Mississippi's seasonally adjusted rate decreased over the month from 9.4 to 9.1 percent but was still three percentage points higher than the April 2008 rate of 6.4 percent.
Results from Mississippi's nonfarm employment survey, which is counted by the location of establishments, reported a not seasonally adjusted increase of 3,100 in employment over the month but a decrease of 39,400 from one year ago.
Industry sectors registering the largest monthly employment gains were construction, and leisure and hospitality. Over the year the largest employment decreases were noted in manufacturing, professional and business services, trade, transportation and utilities, and leisure and hospitality.
For the month of April, 25 counties in Mississippi posted unemployment rates less than or equal to the state's rate of 8.6 percent.
Rankin County posted the lowest unemployment rate for the month of April at 5.4 percent followed by Lamar County at 5.5 percent and Scott County at 5.9 percent.
Unemployment rates decreased or remained the same in all but two counties.
Thirty-five counties still reported double-digit rates for the month with five counties reporting rates greater than or equal to 15 percent.
The unemployed total decreased by 12,200 while the number of employed people increased a mere 100.
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