Mississippi’s unemployment rate has changed little this year, while the state’s gross domestic product dipped slightly in the second quarter, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

August’s unemployment rate was 3.9% and has fluctuated between 4.0% and 3.9% since March. This follows a national trend of what economists are calling a “no-hire, no-fire” labor market.

The number of job openings and the number of hires in Mississippi didn’t change much in July. There were 10,000 less separations — employees who left voluntarily, were laid off or fired — month to month.

Gov. Tate Reeves celebrated the state’s record high for total non-farm employment at 1,205,500. This was up by 16,200 compared with August 2024. In the announcement, Reeves called it “another great day for our state

See Full Page