December Mississippi jobless rate dips, still worst among states

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Mississippi's jobless rate dipped slightly in December, but the state continues to have the highest unemployment rate of any state nationwide.

The jobless rate fell to 7.2 percent, down from 7.3 percent in November and 7.8 percent in December 2013. The decrease was driven by people leaving the labor market, as the number of people who said they had a job fell in December.

A separate survey shows payrolls rose by about 1,000 in December. That brought total payrolls about even with the December 2013 level, showing sluggish job growth in recent months.

Both sets of figures -- adjusted to cancel out seasonal changes -- were released Tuesday by the U.S. Labor Department.

The report found 89,000 Mississippians were unemployed in December, down by 1,600 from November.

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