How many jobs were lost in last month?

Updated May. 19, 2026Refreshed monthly
Mississippi lost 1,300 jobs in March 2026, ranking it 45th among states in job growth. Those figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' state employment report, which tracks monthly job changes. Job numbers can swing month to month as local economies expand or contract, but over the past five years the state has averaged about 1,000 new jobs per month. These figures are often revised in later months as more complete data rolls in.

-1.3K

month to month change in number of jobs (March 2026)

45th

rank among states in monthly job growth (March 2026)
Mississippi’s job loss of 1,300 March 2026 was a directional change from the previous month. The latest monthly job change was down from the 200 gain in February 2026.
During the latest five year period (April 2021 to March 2026), Mississippi gained jobs in 38 out of 60 months. March 2026 had the ninth-lowest job growth during this period. The highest gains during this period occurred in July 2021 (+11,900) while job growth was weakest in July 2023 (-4,800).

There were 1,300 fewer jobs in March 2026 in Mississippi than the previous month.

Monthly change in nonfarm employment, April 2021–March 2026, seasonally adjusted

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Which Mississippi sectors and industries had the best and worst job growth in March 2026?

The three supersectors with the highest job growth in March 2026 were accommodation and food services, local government, and private educational services. Accommodation and food services added 800 jobs, more than the entire economy. Local government gained 500 jobs, while private educational services added 400. The remaining supersectors either posted smaller gains or lost jobs during the month.

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The local government sector gained 500 jobs during March 2026.

Change in jobs since previous month with circle size representing number of sector jobs in Mississippi (March 2026)

How does Mississippi's job growth in 2026 compare to previous years?

In 2025, the state has gained an average of 383 jobs every month. That's lower than the 2024 average monthly increase of 492, and the smallest since 2024. The 2025 average ranks as 12th-highest in job growth since 2006.
When excluding the two pandemic-affected years of 2020 and 2021, job growth ranged from a loss of 300 on average every month in 2009 to a gain of 125 on average every month in 2022.

In 2025, Mississippi gained an average of 383 jobs every month.

Average monthly change in the number of jobs, seasonally adjusted

Job growth among three metro areas primarily in Mississippi during March 2026 ranged from a loss of 500 jobs in the Gulfport, MS area to a gain of 100 jobs in the Hattiesburg, MS area metro area.

Monthly job growth, by metro area

Metro areas where at least one of its primary counties are within Mississippi

Monthly job growth, by metro area
Metro areaChange in jobs

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.