Even as more than 100 jobs are currently advertised in and near Lincoln County, more local people say they are having problems finding work. 

The percentage of available workers unemployed in Lincoln County for February was 4.1 — up from 3.8 one month earlier.

The state average bumped up to 3.8 from 3.7, and the national average dropped from 4.4 to 4.1

In February, Lincoln County’s available workforce grew by 70 from 14,610 to 14,680. Thirty of those were able to find work, but the additional 40 nudged the total unemployed to 600 during the weeks surveyed. 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2022 — the most recent available data — 8,730 in-dividuals lived and worked within the county. An additional 5,010 lived locally but worked outside the county, while 4,760 lived elsewhere but traveled into the county for work. 

In the seven counties surrounding Lincoln, all but Pike had a greater number of individuals unem-ployed, and all had a lower number of available workers, resulting in a higher unemployment per-centage for each from January. February’s unemployment rates for these counties were: Copiah, 4.4%, 500 of 10,790 available workers; Lawrence, 4.4%, 210 of 4,680; Walthall, 4.6%, 230 of 4,810; Amite, 4.8%, 220 of 4,280; Pike, 5.3%, 740 of 13,300; Franklin, 5.6%, 160 of 2,750; and Jefferson, 10.8%, 270 of 2,190.

The Mississippi county with the lowest unemployment rate for February was Rankin at 2.9%. Rankin had 300 more people out of work than one month earlier, from a workforce of 70 less — 2,420 people of 80,040. 

Hinds County has the largest population of a Mississippi county (214,870), as well as the largest la-bor force — 100,580 or 1,840 more than January — and the largest actual number of people un-employed (4,110) in February, but a comparatively low rate of 4.1, because it is a percentage of the total.

Issaquena County maintains the smallest population at 1,256, the smallest labor force (280, down from 320) and the least number of people without work — just 40, though it was 30 in January. Those 40 are 11.4% of the total — the largest percentage of Mississippi’s 82 counties. 

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 be-tween 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 who is over the age of 16 and who is not in an institu-tion 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 em-ployed and unemployed produces the Civilian Labor Force.