JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi payrolls are climbing out of their post-recession hole, but a separate survey shows unemployment going the wrong way.
July’s jobless rate rose to 5.2 percent, as a decline in Mississippians with jobs outstripped a shrinking labor force.
June’s unemployment rate was 5 percent. A year ago, Mississippi had 5.9 percent unemployment.
Unemployed people rose by 2,000 to 67,000.
Mississippi’s jobless rate tied for fifth-highest among states, with Alaska worst at 7 percent. The U.S. rate fell to 4.3 percent in July from June’s 4.3 percent.
Mississippi payrolls rose to 1.15 million in July. That measure - many economists’ top labor market indicator - was above July 2016 and at its highest level since mid-2008.
The U.S. Labor Department released figures Friday, adjusted to cancel out seasonal changes.
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