Mississippi Sets Employment Records in May, Announces Major Economic Wins

JACKSON, Miss. – Governor Tate Reeves today announced that Mississippi set multiple new records in May for employment numbers in the state. Total non-farm employment reached a record high with 1,191,300 jobs. Additionally, the number of unemployed Mississippians dropped to a record low of only 34,605. The state also maintained its record low unemployment rate of 2.8%.

“Our economy is firing on all cylinders, which is why we continue to make history,” said Governor Tate Reeves. “There are more jobs in Mississippi than ever before, which is truly a victory worth celebrating. We’ll continue fighting for good-paying, high-quality jobs that attract more residents to our great state.”

The news follows a series of recent wins for Mississippi. Multiple Mississippi metropolitan areas recently had nation-leading lows in their unemployment rates. The state also secured the largest economic development project in its history: a $10 billion investment from Amazon Web Services that will bring 1,000 new high-paying tech jobs to the Jackson metro area. Additionally, this year saw the largest payroll commitment in state history, a $1.9 billion investment from a joint venture between Accelera by Cummins, Daimler Truck, and PACCAR. This project will create 2,000 jobs with an average annual salary of approximately $66,000.

As recently reported, the Hattiesburg and Jackson metropolitan statistical areas are tied for first in the nation with an April 2024 unemployment rate of 1.6%. Additionally, the Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula metropolitan statistical area is tied for sixth with a rate of 1.8%.
 
The May jobs report can be read in full here.