First unemployment numbers of 2020 released

With the release of unemployment data for January this week, the state and region appear to be off to a stable start in 2020, with little drastic change in unemployment.

The Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES) released its preliminary data for January Tuesday. The data represents the first look at unemployment for 2020.

Data shows Oktibbeha County's unemployment rate at 5.2%, a slight increase from 5% in December 2019. The county's workforce was listed at 21,570, with 1,130 unemployed and 20,440 employed. Of those employed, 21,180 worked in nonagricultural jobs, including 1,360 in manufacturing jobs. As of 2018, Oktibbeha County's population was recorded at 49,599.

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While it still showed the highest employment rate in the Golden Triangle, Clay County's employment rate was 7.6%, an improvement from the 8.3% unemployment reported in December 2019. The most recent numbers showed Clay County with a workforce of 7,620, including 7,040 employed and 580 unemployed. Of those, 5,220 were employed in

nonagricultural jobs, including 950 in manufacturing. Clay County's population was 19,386 as of 2018.

Lowndes County's unemployment was reported at 5.2%, a marginal improvement from the 5.3% unemployment recorded in December 2019. Lowndes County's labor force was reported as 24,950, with 1,310 unemployed and 23,640 employed. Of those employed in Lowndes County, 25,850 were employed in nonagricultural jobs, including 3,910 in manufacturing. As of 2018, Lowndes County's population was recorded as 58,930, the largest in the Golden Triangle.

The Golden Triangle Planning and Development District, which includes the counties of Oktibbeha, Clay, Lowndes, Choctaw, Noxubee, Webster and Winston, showed a 5.7% unemployment rate for January. The district's unemployment rate stayed the same compared with December 2019. The district has a total workforce of 72,680, of which 4,140 are unemployed. Of the

workforce, 63,800 work in nonagricultural jobs, including 8,950 in manufacturing. As of 2018, the district's population was 174,861.

With the exception of Clay County and Noxubee County, which showed 7.4% unemployment, most counties in the area showed unemployment numbers under 6%. These include Chickasaw County at 5.3%, Choctaw County at 5.2%, Monroe County at 5.3%, Webster County at 5.9% and Winston County also at 5.9%.

Within the Starkville City Limits, unemployment was listed at 4.6%, with a

labor force of 11,670 and 530 unemployed.

Columbus, which has a smaller population and labor force than Starkville, showed an unemployment percentage of 5.5%. Its total labor force was listed as 9,690 and 530 unemployed.

Rankin County was again the county with the lowest unemployment in the state, at 3.9%, keeping its spot from last month. The county with the highest unemployment was Jefferson County at 16.7%.

Statewide, Mississippi's unemployment is at 5.5%, slightly down from 5.6% in December 2019.