[5/14/03]Warren County’s unemployment rate improved slightly in March, and the statewide rate remained unchanged, the Mississippi Employment Security Commission said Tuesday.

The commission said 5.4 percent of people looking for work in Warren County could not find a job in March. The rate was 5.5 percent in February.

“It seems to be following the state trend,” said Eunice Harper, manager of the MESC office in Vicksburg.

Harper said the manufacturing sector is getting better, pointing to two new manufacturers who were in the process of opening in Warren County in March.

Although the MESC does not identify companies by name, the companies that opened in Warren County were Calsonic Kansei Mississippi, which began production in January, and Yorozu Automotive Mississippi, which began production this month.

Both are at Ceres Research and Industrial Interplex at Flowers and will supply parts for the Nissan plant in Canton scheduled to open May 27.

Statewide the unemployment rate was 6.2 percent for both February and March, better than the 7 percent rate for March 2002.

Statewide in March there were also increases in the leisure and hospitality industry and wholesale and retail trade areas, in addition to improvements in manufacturing.

In neighboring counties, Sharkey posted a 16 percent rate in March compared to 18.3 in February, and Issaquena County improved from 16.1 percent to 13.6.

Claiborne County’s rate worsened from 11 percent to 11.7 percent in February.