JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi employers added workers in August, with payrolls rising for the second straight month, while the unemployment rate was flat.
Used by many economists as their top labor market indicator, Mississippi payrolls increased by 3,000 to 1.15 million. That’s 12,000 more than in August 2015, but 14,000 below the state’s pre-recession high.
Mississippi’s unemployment rate was flat from July to August at 6 percent, and below August 2015’s 6.3 percent level. The workforce and number of people reporting jobs fell slightly, while the number of unemployed people was flat at 76,000.
Mississippi had August’s fifth-highest jobless rate among states, with Alaska worst at 6.8 percent. The nationwide jobless rate stayed level at 4.9 percent.
The U.S. Labor Department released both sets of figures Tuesday, adjusted to cancel out seasonal changes
