Grenada County continues to over perform when it comes to job employment, according to the latest information announced by the Mississippi Department of Employment Security.
The recently released totals from the MDES reveal that Grenada County’s unemployment is lower than the state’s average of 6.1 percent. At 5.4 percent, Grenada County ranked 19th in the state during the month of May.
Michael Lott, president of the Grenada County Board of Supervisors, said that statistically, the numbers remain strong for this area, however, there is room for improvement.
“We’re doing very well here in Grenada County,” Lott said. “In fact, there are a lot of ‘Help Wanted’ signs here because there are openings all over. If someone is looking for a job, there’s a lot of them available right now.”
Counties to the north and the east of Grenada show similar unemployment rates with Calhoun County posting a 5.1 percent rating. Yalobusha County posted a 6.4 percent rating for May and Tallahatchie County finished that month at 5.9 percent.
Webster County and Montgomery County showed a percentage of 5.9 and 6.5 rating, respectfully for May. In Carroll County, the rate in May posted 6.2 percent. Leflore County showed the highest rate of the bordering counties with a 9.2 percent rating.
Along Interstate 55, Grenada County has one of the lowest unemployment ratings behind only Desoto County and Madison at 4.7 and Rankin County at 3.8.
Tate County showed a 6.1 percent rating for May and Holmes County was the highest along the interstate with a 12.2 percent rating.
Matthew Harrison, director of the Greater Grenada Partnership, said that statistically, the numbers are a significant sign of how the local economy is progressing.
“As far as the unemployment rate goes, it continues to show that we’re doing well and staying consistent,” Harrison concluded. “It shows our companies are doing well. We are showing growth, but the goal is to keep growing and to grow steadily.”
