Seasonal factors in the agricultural sector contributed tojobless rate increases on both the state and local levels inDecember, officials said.

Like the state rate, Lincoln County’s unemployment total climbedsix-tenths of a point in December, according to the latestMississippi Employment Security Commission (MESC) statistics.Lincoln County’s rate was up to 5.5 percent while the state averagestood at 5.8 percent.

Chandler Russ, executive vice-president of theBrookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce, pointed out an80-person increase in the civilian labor force from November toDecember. The force rose from 14,560 to 14,640 over the two-monthperiod.

“You also had a significant decrease in agriculture employment,”Russ said.

Russ said the county’s number of agriculture employment fellfrom 380 to 320.

“December, typically, isn’t a heavy month for agriculture,” Russsaid.

Remaining county job losses were peppered throughout the otheremployment sectors.

“Everything else is pretty much the same,” Russ said, addingthat there are no major concerns. “We’re still below the stateaverage, and in this region we’re second only to Amite County.”

Although up two-tenths of point to 4 percent, Amite Countyplaced 11th in the state in the lowest ranking.

For December, Lincoln County tied with three other counties forthe 28th spot statewide in jobless rate rankings. The other threecounties were Jasper, Simpson and Walthall, which had athree-tenths of a point drop and was the only southwest Mississippicounty to have a decline.

Russ also discussed the county’s five-year average employmentpicture.

In 1997, the county’s average civilian labor force was 13,310.It had grown to an average of 14,570 in 2001.

However, the county’s average unemployment rate dipped from 5.6percent in 1997 to 4.6 percent in 2001. Russ said the totals showeconomic growth and expansion.

“Even though the labor force grew by almost 10 percent, oureconomy absorbed them at a faster rate,” Russ said. “That speakswell for our county.”

In other area counties, Pike County posted the largest rateincrease. Its rate climbed 1.4 percentage points to 6.6 percent forDecember.

Like Lincoln, Copiah County posted a six-tenths of a point jumpfor the holiday month. The county’s rate was 6.5 percent.

To the west in Franklin County, joblessness was up nine-tenthsto 8 percent. In the east, Lawrence County saw a two-tenthsincrease to 7 percent.

With a seven-tenths jump, Jefferson County continued to have thehighest area jobless rate at 15.1 percent. That was fourth-highestin the state behind Sharkey, Issaquena and Holmes counties.

Overall, 32 counties were at or below the state average while 27were at or below the national average of 5.4 percent.

MESC Executive Director Curt Thompson said the unemploymentnumbers show the state is beginning the impact of the nationalrecession.

“The effects of a national downturn in the economy take time tofilter down to smaller areas of the country like Mississippi,”Thompson said.

Thompson predicted the state’s January numbers would be higher.He attributed that to post-holiday layoffs, slower construction dueto the weather and further agriculture job reductions related tothe end of harvest season.