Unemployment in Lincoln County is up, though area officials saidpeople seem to be working all angles to find jobs.

“We’ve had pretty steady traffic, but a lot of people are doingtheir job search from home, which cuts down on the traffic some,”said WIN Jobs Center Director David Holland.

Lincoln County falls at number 30 on the list of 82 counties inMississippi, with a May rate of 11.8 percent, up .5 percent fromApril’s 11.3 percent.

Statewide, the average rate is 11.2 percent, and nationally, itfalls at 9.3 percent.

Holland said there are more jobs being made available by the Gulfoil spill work on the coast.

“Today there are only two jobs on there for the oil spill, butyesterday there were six on there,” he said, explaining that eachposition listed had several slots available.

Job searchers are referred to the Mississippi Department ofEmployment Security website. But still, Holland said, it’s aday-to-day thing as to how many jobs are listed.

In other area counties, Copiah County came in at number 29, with arate of 11.8 percent for May as well. Copiah, however, rose a fullpoint from April’s 10.8 percent.

Amite County was up a full point as well, from April’s 11.9 percentto May’s 12.9 percent, while Pike County jumped from 11.7 percentin April to 12.2 percent in May.

Franklin County’s 13.6 percent rate from May was up .9 percent fromApril’s 12.9 percent, while Lawrence was up barely from 12.3percent to 12.5 percent over the two month span.

Walthall County experienced the smallest increase from 13.3 percentin April to 13.4 percent in May, while Jefferson went from 17.4percent in April to 19.2 percent in May.

Meanwhile, Holland said, for job hunters, the best advice is justto follow every lead and keep pounding the pavement.

“Check the ads in the paper, be working with friends, try all thosedifferent avenues, and don’t put all your eggs in one basket,” hesaid.

In addition, it never hurts to have all your work history in withthe WIN Jobs Center.

“I would suggest that they be registered with us, I have peoplethat I talk to every day, who say, ‘Remember me if something comesin,'” Holland said. “But I always tell them to get theirinformation in with us. Sometimes people don’t want to take thatstep and the first thing they need to do is get registered, whetheronline or a personal visit might be better.”

But still, Brookhaven is doing better than a lot of places, Hollandpointed out.

“I feel like Brookhaven is fairing better than a lot of the stateand certainly other areas in Southwest Mississippi,” he said.”We’ve lost jobs like Columbus Lumber, then we had Great Southernand Rex coming in. We’ve had some positive thing going on and notjust all negative. And in some other places around the state itseems like it’s all going south.”