Area counties look to be springing back on the employment chartsfor the month of November, with most counties in southwestMississippi area down by a good margin.

Lincoln County’s unemployment rate fell .7 percent and back intosingle digits, dropping from October’s 10.0 percent to 9.3 percentfor November. Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of CommerceExecutive Vice President Cliff Brumfield said the trend hopefullywill continue.

“Future gains during the warmer months of 2010 will show us evenmore of an improvement,” he said.

Lawrence County is down more than a point and a half, from 12.0percent to 10.4 percent for November. Franklin County is also apoint lower, from 10.6 in October to 9.6 in November.

Several other counties are no longer in the double-digitpercentages. Pike County fell a half a point from October toNovember, dropping from October’s 10.3 percent to November’s 9.8percent.

Amite is down from 9.7 percent in October to 9.2 percent inNovember, and Copiah County is down from 10.3 percent to 9.7percent.

Walthall fell from October’s 11.2 percent to November’s 10.4percent, and even Jefferson County is down .4 percent from 15.6 to15.2 percent in November.

With the possibility of 100-150 new jobs coming into LincolnCounty if all works out with Rex Lumber and Great Southern WoodPreserving, some people are hoping those numbers will improvedrastically for Brookhaven and the surrounding area.

“The new jobs from increased industrial activity will mostdefinitely add to these numbers during the next year,” Brumfieldsaid.

Amite and Lincoln County are ranked 25 and 27 of the state’s 82counties, respectively, leading officials to take a positivestance.

“Our most recent report of low unemployment is yet another signfor us to have confidence in our economy,” Brumfield said. “Some ofthis is definitely seasonal employment as many retailers addedstaff to take on holiday shoppers, but just as national indicatorsshow we’re leaving this recession, so do local numbers.”

The state average for November is 9.0 percent, with the countryshowing an average of 9.4 percent. Twenty-three counties inMississippi posted rates less than or equal to the state’s rate,and rates decreased over the month in all but two counties.

Rankin leads the state with a 5.9 percent unemployment rate.