How many jobs were lost in Mississippi last month?
Refreshed monthly
Mississippi lost 900 jobs in September 2026, ranking it 35th 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 922 new jobs per month. These figures are often revised in later months as more complete data rolls in.
-900
month to month change in number of jobs (September 2026)
35th
rank among states in monthly job growth (September 2026)
Mississippi’s job loss of 900 in September 2026 was a directional change from the previous month. The latest monthly job change was down from the 2,500 gain in August 2026.
During the latest five year period (October 2021 to September 2026), Mississippi gained jobs in 37 out of 60 months. September 2026 had the 12th-lowest job growth during this period. The highest gains during this period occurred in October 2021 (+9,200) while job growth was weakest in July 2023 (-4,800).
There were 900 fewer jobs in September 2026 in Mississippi than the previous month.
Monthly change in nonfarm employment, October 2021–September 2026, seasonally adjusted
Which Mississippi sectors and industries had the best and worst job growth in September 2026?
The three supersectors with the highest job growth in September 2026 were local government, durable goods, and administrative and support and waste management and remediation services. Local government added 500 jobs, more than the entire economy. Durable goods gained 400 jobs, while administrative and support and waste management and remediation services added 400. The remaining supersectors either posted smaller gains or lost jobs during the month.
The three lowest-performing supersectors were construction, transportation, warehousing, and utilities, and state government. Construction lost 700 jobs in September 2026, while transportation, warehousing, and utilities lost 400 jobs and state government lost 300 jobs.
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The local government sector gained 500 jobs during September 2026.
Change in jobs since previous month with circle size representing number of sector jobs in Mississippi (September 2026)
How has Mississippi's job growth changed over time?
In 2025, Mississippi gained an average of 383 jobs every month. That's lower than the 2024 average monthly increase of 492, and the lowest since 2020. The 2025 average ranks as 12th-highest in job growth since 2007.
When excluding the two pandemic-affected years of 2020 and 2021, job growth ranged from a loss of 3,600 on average every month in 2009 to a gain of 1,300 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 September 2026 ranged from a loss of 100 jobs in the Hattiesburg, MS area to a gain of 200 jobs in the Jackson, MS area.
Monthly job growth, by metro area
Metro areas where at least one of its primary counties are within Mississippi
| Metro area | Change in jobs | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | +200 | |
| 2. | +100 | |
| 3. | +0 | |
| 4. | -100 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
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.
