The area’s unemployment picture improved in August as thejobless rates for six Southwest Mississippi counties dropped by anaverage of .9 percent, according to Mississippi Department ofEmployment Security figures.

“It’s all part of the same cyclical rate we see every year atthis time,” said David Holland, director of the agency’s Brookhavenoffice. “The numbers are predominantly a result of the return ofstudents and teachers to school, which takes them off the rolls ofthe unemployed.”

Franklin County showed the highest growth of employment inSouthwest Mississippi.

Its jobless rate dropped from 9.7 percent in July to 8.3 percentin August. The increase is a significant improvement over thecounty’s unemployment in August 2005, when it was 9.4 percent.

Lincoln County numbers remained strong, Holland said.

The increase in the number of employed here lowered unemployednumbers by .6 percent, from 7.8 to 7.2. The county’s unemploymentrate last year in August was 7.9 percent.

The increase was enough to keep Lincoln County at the top of thelist of low unemployment in Southwest Mississippi with a stateranking of 26.

However, Amite County’s unemployment figures dropped from 7.9percent in July to 7.2 percent in August to tie Lincoln County forthe top spot in the region.

Pike County climbed into third in the region with a stateranking of 28 and a 7.3 percent unemployment rate. The rate is adrop of one full point from July’s 8.3 percent.

Copiah County also showed significant growth. The county’sunemployment rate fell from 8.6 percent in July to 7.7 percent inAugust.

Lawrence County unemployment dropped from 10.5 percent in Julyto 9.5 percent in August, but was the only county in SouthwestMississippi not to post better numbers in 2006 than in 2005. Thecounty’s rate in August 2005 was 9.1 percent.

The state’s average unemployment rate for August was 7.2percent, an improvement of 1.1 percent from July’s 8.3 percent. TheAugust 2006 rate was down two-tenths of a point compared to August2005.

The national rate also showed improvement, falling from 5percent in July to 4.6 percent in August.

Holland said rates should continue to improve in September withthe return of more students to school and increased agriculturalactivity.