Warren County’s unemployment rate for April decreased along with the statewide total, but remains higher than a year ago.

Preliminary figures for the month showed 8.8 percent of people seeking work could not find jobs last month, down from 9.3 percent in March. Following state and national trends, local unemployment is up sharply in the past year from the 5.4 percent recorded in April 2008.

Unemployment in Mississippi stood at 8.6 percent, down from March’s 9.4 percent. Nationwide unemployment stood at 8.6 percent for April, down from 9 percent in March.

Twenty-five of the state’s 82 counties recorded equal or lesser unemployment rates than the statewide average. Rankin County had the lowest at 5.4 percent, followed by Lamar and Scott counties, at 5.4 and 5.5 percent, respectively. Noxubee County recorded the highest, at 17.2 percent, joining 34 other counties in double-digit unemployment. Among them are Jefferson and Claiborne counties, at 16 percent and 15.5 percent, respectively.

Overall ranks of the unemployed in Mississippi decreased for the month but is up in the past year. Seasonally unadjusted figures show 111,600 unemployed people in April, down from 123,800 in March but up more than 65 percent in the past year.

Sectors showing the largest gains in the state were construction and leisure and hospitality. Manufacturing lost the most for the month, followed by professional and business services, trade, transportation and utilities.

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Contact Danny Barrett Jr. at dbarrett@vicksburgpost.com