Lincoln County’s unemployment rate continues to decline, with February’s rate decreasing eight-tenths of a percentage point from January’s rate, according to the most recent data from the Mississippi Department of Employment Security.

February’s rate dropped to 5.9 percent, slightly lower than the state average of 6.2 percent. It is still above the U.S. average of 5.2 percent.

The lowest unemployment rate in February was in Rankin County at 4 percent. The highest was in Issaquena County at 21.2 percent.

Copiah County’s rate was 6.7 percent, Lawrence’s was 7.4 and Franklin recorded a rate of 7.5 percent.

Lincoln County’s unemployment rate dropped, as well as the actual number of unemployed residents. The number of unemployed in Lincoln County decreased to 860. The labor force was 14,470 strong.  That is a slight decrease from January’s labor force of 14,540 with 970 unemployed.

February saw a decrease from January in new unemployment claims and an increase in unemployment claims dollars. Unemployment claims are up from February 2015.

The claims rate is part of a bigger trend that shows better numbers across the board from 2015 to 2016. In February 2015, the unemployment rate for the U.S. was 5.8, for Mississippi it was 6.6 and for Lincoln County it was 6.1.

For more information, visit mdes.ms.gov.