[04/19/03] More people being called back to work in the construction industry probably helped the unemployment rate in Warren County improve in February.

Some 290 more Warren County residents were working in February when compared to January to improve the rate of joblessness from 6.1 percent to 5.4 percent said John Nelson of the Vicksburg office of the Mississippi Employment Security Commission. He said in February 1,370 Warren Countians were out of work compared to 1,660 the previous month.

Nelson said statistics showed that more people were working in construction and the retail trade to improve the figures.

Across Mississippi, the unemployment rate also improved, dropping from 7.1 percent in January to 6.1 percent in February. The national rate also improved some, dropping from 6.5 percent to 6.4 percent.

State officials said the improvement in Mississippi’s joblessness was due to the gain of jobs in educational and health services and in retail trade. There were some losses, however, in manufacturing, accommodations and food services.

The unemployment rates in neighboring counties also improved in February when compared to January. Claiborne County’s rate went from 13.0 percent to 10.7 percent, Issaquena County’s went from 18.7 percent to 15.1 percent and Sharkey County’s went from 19.2 percent to 18.2 percent.