Lincoln County’s unemployment rate continues to decline, falling four-tenths of a percentage point from March to April, according to the most recent data from the Mississippi Department of Employment Security.

April’s rate of 5 percent puts Lincoln County even with the state average, which decreased six-tenths of a percentage point from the previous month’s rate of 5.6 percent. Lincoln County’s rate is still above the U.S. average of 4.7 percent.

The lowest unemployment rate in April was in Rankin County at 3.4 percent. The highest was in Issaquena County at 14.4 percent.

Copiah County’s rate was 5.6 percent, Lawrence’s was 6.1 and Franklin recorded a rate of 5.9 percent.

Lincoln County’s unemployment rate dropped, as well as the actual number of unemployed residents. The number of unemployed in Lincoln County decreased to 710 in April. The labor force was 14,250 strong.  That is a slight decrease from March’s labor force of 14,320 with 770 unemployed.

April saw a decrease from March in new unemployment claims and an increase in unemployment claims dollars. Unemployment claims are down from April 2015.

The claims rate is part of a bigger trend that shows better numbers across the board from 2015 to 2016. In April 2015, the unemployment rate for the U.S. was 5.1, for Mississippi it was 5.7 and for Lincoln County it was 5.4.

In April of 2011, the county’s rate was 9.1 percent. It dropped to 7.5 in 2012, 7.1 in 2013 and 5.8 in 2014.

For more information, visit mdes.ms.gov.