Fewer unemployed in Lincoln County during August, but fewer in county workforce, too

Published 2:00 pm Sunday, October 5, 2025

The amount of unemployed people in Lincoln County is lower than earlier in the year, but so is the available workforce.

In August, 630 people said they were looking for work but could not find it — 4.4 percent of the county’s workforce of 14,390. Those numbers were 680 out of 14,480 (4.7 percent) in July. The number of unemployed in June was 660 (4.5 percent), though only 550 in May (3.8 percent).

One year ago, Lincoln County had 520 people (3.6 percent) jobless out of 14,560 available workers. The 12-month average was 570 (3.9 percent) from 14,550 people.

Twenty-seven counties posted unemployment percentages equal to or less than the state average of 4.2. 

The smallest rate was 3.1 in Rankin County, where it typically remains, and largest in Jefferson County, 10.8 percent, also typical. Both were down from the previous month — 3.2 in Rankin and 13 in Jefferson. 

Counties bordering Lincoln had higher unemployment rates — Copiah, 4.5; Lawrence, 4.8; Walthall, 5.1; Pike and Amite, 5.4; Franklin, 5.6; and Jefferson, 10.8

Rankin County’s 3.1 percent represents 2,540 unemployed people from a workforce of 81,510. Jefferson County’s 10.8 percent is just 260 people, but the work force is a mere 2,400 — fewer than the number out of work in Rankin. 

Hinds County has the highest population of any Mississippi county (211,975 as of July) and the largest labor force, 99,380. Its 4.2 percent of unemployment represents 4,210 people.

Overall, Mississippi had 53,992 people out of work (4.2 percent) from a labor force of 1,223,635. That was nearly 5,000 fewer unemployed people than July, but from almost 72,000 fewer available workers.

The national unemployment rate in July was 4.5 percent — representing 7.747 million people from a total of 171.035 million in the work force. 

Labor data

Monthly estimates of the labor force, employment, unemployment and the unemployment rate are generated by the Local Area Unemployment Statistics Program, a cooperative program between the Bureau of Labor Statistics and State Employment Security Agencies. 

Statistics on the employment status of the population and related data are compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics using data from the Current Population Survey (CPS). The CPS is a monthly survey of households conducted by the US Census Bureau. It is a scientifically selected survey designed to represent the civilian non-institutional population of the United States. 

Households selected are interviewed to obtain information about the employment status of each member of the household 16 years of age and older. The inquiry relates to employment activity or status during the calendar week, Sunday through Saturday, which includes the 12th day of the month. This week is known as the reference week. 

The survey is designed so that each person over the age of 16 and who is not in an institution such as prison or mental hospital or on active duty with the Armed Forces is only counted and classified in one group; employed, unemployed or not in the labor force. 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics defines an individual employed if they did any work at all for pay or profit during the survey week; this includes all part-time and temporary work as well as full-time year-round employment. 

Unemployed individuals are those who do not have a job, have actively looked for work during the past four weeks and are currently available for work. The sum of employed and unemployed produces the total Civilian Labor Force (work force).