Lincoln County’s unemployment rate is slightly lower in July than it was the previous month, according to the latest figures released from the Mississippi Department of Employment Security.

The county again sits at the 28th spot among the 82 counties with 6.1 percent, tied with Hancock and Pearl River counties.

Just over 14,000 individuals were employed in July out of a labor force of 14,930. The unemployment rate dropped 0.1 percent from June and the labor force remained steady.

Statewide, the number of non-farm jobs increased once again, from June’s 1,148,600 to 1,221,400 in July. This number is based on employer surveys and is considered the most reliable indicator of job growth. Over the year since July 2016, this number has increased by 16,900.

Mississippi’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.2 percent in July, up slightly from 5 percent in June. This percentage is a good bit lower from that of July 2017, when the rate held steady at 5.9.

Nationally, the unemployment rate for July was 4.3 percent, down 0.1 percent, but translating to 6.98 million unemployed individuals, about 80,000 more than the previous month.

The labor force, which is made up of everyone who has a job or is looking for a job, decreased in July statewide by 7,800 to 1,288,700.  However, over the year since July 2016, the labor force has grown by 9,100.

Rankin and Union counties had the lowest rate of unemployment in the state, tied at 4.1 percent for July.

Jefferson County continues to have the highest rate of unemployment, at 17 percent.

Figures are provided by the Mississippi Department of Employment Security and are updated monthly.