Ellington

The average unemployment rate for the Magnolia state was 10.3 percent in December, slightly higher than the national average of 9.7 percent. For Mississippi, that percentage translates into 133,700 individuals collecting benefits from the state, at a cost of nearly $25 million.

The monthly Labor Market Data report released by the Mississippi Department of Employment Security shows that only 19 of the state's 82 counties had unemployment rates of less than 10 percent. In the tri-county area, Rankin reported the lowest jobless rate in the state at 6.8 percent; Madison and Hinds counties also report relatively low unemployment, at 7.8 percent and 9 percent, respectively.

At the other end of the state's jobless spectrum, nine counties reported rates higher than 15 percent, with Clay and Holmes counties at 19 percent, and Noxubee at 18.7 percent.

Overall, unemployment in Mississippi rose by 1.2 percent from November 2009 to December 2009, and 3.4 percent from December 2008. The average rate for the entirety of 2009 was 9.5 percent, which is just slightly higher than the national average of 9.3 percent.

For additional information, go to the MDES Web site and click on Unemployment Rates under Labor Market Information.

Official unemployment rates do not count people who have taken part-time employment—reporting any employment at all counts individuals as employed. The numbers also do not reflect those whose benefits have expired, or those who did not actively look for work in the previous four weeks. Experts note that unofficial employment rates may be twice as high as those reported by official sources.