Leflore County's jobless remained unchanged in May, according to figures released Tuesday by the Mississippi Employment Security Commission.
Last month, 11.1 percent of the civilian labor force was unemployed, the same as the adjusted figure for April.
The May rate was higher, though, than the same month a year ago, when unemployment stood at 9.5 percent.
Most counties saw their jobless rates rise last month, according to MESC. Statewide, the jobless rate in May was 6.8 percent, up from 6.5 percent in April.
One notable exception was Tunica County, which recorded its best job numbers in almost 30 years.
Once considered the poorest county in the nation, the fellow Delta county had only 3.6 percent unemployment in May - the third lowest in the state.
"This is a big deal for Tunica County," said Jan Garrick, MESC's spokeswoman.
Garrick said the area relies heavily on agriculture, and new workers in that industry helped drop the county's rate from 4.1 percent in April. But its overall turnaround can be attributed to the 1992 opening of the casino industry, she said.
In 1985, Tunica County had a 19 percent unemployment rate.
"The casinos plus the other jobs the casinos bring - hotel workers, the food preparation - that's turned their economy around up there," she said.
Clarke County, with the state's highest unemployment rate at 19.3 percent, tells a different story. The county's economy was crippled this year by the loss of 816 jobs after Burlington Industries closed its Stonewall plant in April.
Clarke County averaged a 9.3 percent unemployment rate last year. It was as low as 8.8 percent in February this year.
MESC said the number of unemployed in Mississippi was up by 20,700 over last year for a total of 89,400 out of work in May. The furniture, construction, farm and food and food-related manufacturing sectors showed job gains in May, the commission reported.
Another rise in the unemployment rate is expected in June when college and high school students enter the market.
"As they try to find employment, jobs will be scarce," Garrick said. "We do expect the rate will go up."
Nationally, the unemployment rate last month was 5.5 percent.
Leflore County tied with Sharkey County for the 66th-best unemployment rate of the state's 82 counties in May, one spot worse than the month before.
The May rates and rankings for other nearby counties were:
- Grenada, 7.1 percent, 36th.
- Carroll, 7.9 percent, 43rd (tie).
- Tallahatchie, 9.5 percent, 52nd (tie).
- Sunflower, 10.1 percent, 58th (tie).
- Humphreys, 10.2 percent, 61st.
- Montgomery, 12.3 percent, 73rd.
- Holmes, 13.8 percent, 77th.
