January 25, 2022
Summary
Mississippi added 4,200 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate fell by 0.5 percentage point to 4.5 percent in December, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data released at 10:00am on January 25, 2022.
Over the past twelve months, Mississippi added 23,700 payroll jobs and the unemployment rate fell by 2.1 percentage points from 6.6 percent.
In December, Mississippi’s private sector added 3,600 net private payroll jobs and over the past twelve months it added 26,900 private payroll jobs in the establishment survey.
In the household survey, the number of unemployed fell by 6,387 on net in December, and over the past year employment rose by 13,284.
Mississippi’s labor force participation rate fell to 55.2 percent in December from 55.4 percent. Since last year, the labor force participation rate fell by 0.6 percentage point.
The national unemployment rate fell by 0.3 percentage point in December to 3.9 percent. State employment and unemployment data for January is scheduled for release March 14, 2022. The national employment situation report for January will be released February 04, 2022.
Mississippi Payroll Employment
Mississippi added 4,200 net payroll jobs, or 0.4 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during December. In the prior month, Mississippi lost 1,300 jobs. Over the past twelve months, Mississippi added 23,700 payroll jobs, or 2.1 percent. Mississippi nonfarm payroll employment had increased in 7 of the past 12 months.
Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 199,000 in December, or rose by 0.1 percent. Over the 12-month period ending with December, nonfarm payrolls rose by 6,448,000 jobs, or 4.5 percent. Mississippi is tied for 46th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.
During December, Mississippi’s private-sector added 3,600 jobs, or approximately 0.4 percent. The private-sector in Mississippi lost 2,000 jobs in the prior month. Over the past twelve months, private-sector payrolls in Mississippi added 26,900, or 3 percent. Mississippi private-sector payroll employment has increased in 7 of the past 12 months.
Nationally, private-sector payroll jobs rose by 211,000 jobs in December, or 0.2 percent. Over the past 12 months, the national payroll rose by 5,996,000 jobs in the private sector, or 5 percent. Mississippi ranks 34th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia for a percentage gain in private-sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.
The best performing sectors on a seasonally adjusted basis during December were Leisure and Hospitality (1,900) and Manufacturing tied with Professional and Business Services (1,000). The poorest performing sectors during the month were Financial Activities (-200) and Education and Health Services (-1,100).
The best performing sectors during the last twelve months were Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (8,100) and Leisure and Hospitality (5,000). The poorest performing sectors during the last twelve months were Information (200) and Government (-3,200).
Mississippi Labor Force Statistics
Labor Force Participation
The labor force participation rate in Mississippi fell to 55.2 percent in December from 55.4 percent in the prior month. At a labor force participation rate of 55.2 percent, Mississippi ranks 50th in the nation. The labor force participation rate in Mississippi fell by 0.6 percentage point from a year earlier. The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the civilian noninstitutionalized population age 16 and older who are employed or actively looking for work.
The 10-year high for the labor force participation rate in Mississippi was 59.6 percent in December 2011. The series high for the labor force participation rate in Mississippi last occurred in November 1994 when the labor force participation rate hit 63.3 percent. The 10-year low for the labor force participation rate was 53.3 percent in April 2020. This also represents the series low for the labor force participation rate in Mississippi.
The national labor force participation rate remained steady at 61.9 percent in December. That rate rose by 0.4 percentage point from a year earlier. The all-time high for the national labor force participation rate was 67.3 percent in April 2000. The 10-year high for the national labor force participation rate was 63.8 percent in October 2012. The recent 10-year low occurred in April 2020 at a level of 60.2 percent. The series low for the national labor force participation rate was 58.1 percent in December 1954.
Employment-to-Population Ratio
The employment-to-population ratio, or the percentage of the Mississippi civilian noninstitutionalized population 16 years and older counted as employed, in December rose to 52.7 from 52.6 percent in the prior month. At 52.7 percent, Mississippi ranks 51st among state employment-to-population ratios in the nation. The employment-to-population ratio in Mississippi rose by 0.5 percentage point from a year earlier.
The 10-year high for the employment-to-population ratio in Mississippi was 54.1 percent last occurring in January 2012. The series high for the employment-to-population ratio in Mississippi last occurred in May 2000 when the employment-to-population ratio hit 59.4 percent. The 10-year low for the employment-to-population ratio was 44.9 percent in April 2020. This also represents the series low for the employment-to-population ratio in Mississippi.
The national employment-to-population ratio rose by 0.2 percentage point over the month to 59.5 percent in December. That rate rose by 2.1 percentage points from a year earlier. The all-time high for the national employment-to-population rato was 64.7 percent in April 2000. The 10-year high for the national employment-to-population ratio was 61.2 percent in February 2020. The recent 10-year low occurred in April 2020 at a level of 51.3 percent. The series low for the employment-to-population ratio was 51.3 percent in April 2020.