Leflore County's jobless rate rose in January to 12.1 percent, according to figures released Thursday by the Mississippi Department of Employment Security.
Although the January figure was higher than December's rate of 11.7 percent, it was an improvement over January of a year ago, when the jobless rate was 12.5 percent.
Traditionally, a dormant agricultural sector causes the county's unemployment level to rise during the winter months.
This was true statewide, according to Wayne Gasson, chief of labor market information at MDES. Areas dependent on farm-related jobs posted higher jobless rates, he said, while most other areas changed little from December.
Mississippi's unemployment rate for January was 9.1 percent, slightly better than the 9.3 percent rate of the month before.
A year ago, Mississippi's unemployment rate was 7.8 percent.
Nationally, the jobless rate in January was 5.1 percent, up from 4.6 percent in December.
In Mississippi, Harrison and Sharkey counties, at 18.5 percent, and Hancock County, at 16.8 percent, had the highest unemployment in January.
DeSoto County had the lowest rate at 4.9 percent, followed by Rankin County at 5.1 percent.
Leflore County tied with Clay County for the 65th best unemployment rate of the 82 counties, one spot better than the month before.
The January rates and rankings for other nearby counties were:
- Grenada, 7.9 percent, 24th (tie).
- Carroll, 8.7 percent, 39th (tie).
- Montgomery, 8.7 percent, 39th (tie).
- Tallahatchie, 11.8 percent, 63rd.
- Sunflower, 15.1 percent, 75th (tie).
- Holmes, 15.1 percent, 75th (tie).
- Humphreys, 15.8 percent, 78th.
