The number of unemployed people in Mississippi has dropped once again, down to 3.8 percent from 4.1 one month earlier.

The Mississippi Department of Employment Security reported the May numbers in its recent statistics.

Lincoln County had a workforce of 14,900 in April, and 14,920 in May. The number of employed persons was 14,420 each month. In April, 480 people (3.2 percent) were unemployed, so that number increased to 500 for May (3.3 percent). One year earlier, Lincoln County had a 5.1 percent unemployment rate, with 750 people unemployed from a labor force of 14,780.

The 12-month moving average for Lincoln County as of May was 4.2 percent unemployment, or 620 people compared to a workforce of 14,880.

The state average for May was 3.8 percent unemployed and 3.4 percent nationally. Both are notable drops from one year ago, when the state average was 5.9 percent and the national average was 5.5. Both are also significant drops from 2020, when the state average was 11.4 percent and the nation’s average was 13 percent of people out of work.

Lincoln County had 42 new initial unemployment insurance claims in May, compared to 77 in May 2021. Continued claims for May 2022 were 135, compared to 833 one year earlier.

Nationwide, every state except Mississippi, Ohio, Michigan and New Jersey had fewer unemployment claims last week than the same week one year ago.

Thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia also had unemployment claims lower than pre-pandemic levels — except for Mississippi, Ohio, Michigan, California, Texas, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Oregon, New York, Utah, Georgia, Colorado and Indiana.

WalletHub ranked Mississippi 49/51 of states recovered most since last week, and 37/51 of states recovered most since the start of the Covid-19 crisis. The Magnolia State had 55.45 percent more unemployment claims last week vs. 2019 and 109.42 percent more than the same week in 2020, but only 12.44 percent more than one year ago. Mississippi had only a 2.91 percent increase in claims over pre-pandemic 2018.

Mississippi had the smallest decrease in number of unemployment insurance initial claims compared to 2020, and 49/51 in smallest decrease compared to 2021.

The labor force includes people age 16 and older who are able to work and are either employed or looking for work. This number does not include full-time students, members of the Armed Forces or those with farm jobs, according to MDES.

Monthly estimates of the labor force, employment, unemployment and the unemployment rate are generated by the Local Area Unemployment Statistics Program, a cooperative program between the Bureau of Labor Statistics and State Employment Security agencies.