Mississippi job numbers fall slightly from record levels

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – Mississippi’s job market was steady in April, with unemployment remaining near record lows and payrolls remaining near record highs.

The jobless rate ticked up to 4.6 percent in April from 4.5 percent March, as more people entered the labor force than found jobs. March’s level tied for the lowest recorded since current surveys began in 1976. The jobless rate in April 2017 was 5.3 percent.

The number of unemployed Mississippians rose slightly to 58,000.

The separate payroll survey – economists’ top labor market indicator – dipped to 1.16 million in April. That’s just below March’s record and is 15,000 jobs above last year.

April’s U.S. unemployment rate fell to 3.9 percent from 4.1 percent in March.

The U.S. Labor Department released figures Friday, adjusted to cancel out seasonal changes.

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