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

March’s rate dropped to 5.4 percent, slightly lower than the state average of 5.6 percent, which decreased six-tenths of a percentage point from the previous month’s rate of 6.2 percent. It is still above the U.S. average of 5.1 percent.

The lowest unemployment rate in March was in Rankin County at 3.7 percent. The highest was in Issaquena County at 17.7 percent.

Copiah County’s rate was 6 percent, Lawrence’s was 6.7 and Franklin recorded a rate of 7.2 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 770 in March. The labor force was 14,320 strong.  That is a slight decrease from February’s labor force of 14,470 with 860 unemployed.

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

The claims rate is part of a bigger trend that shows better numbers across the board from 2015 to 2016. In March 2015, the unemployment rate for the U.S. was 5.5, for Mississippi it was 6.1 and for Lincoln County it was 5.6.

For more information, visit mdes.ms.gov.