Mississippi’s unemployment rate has changed little this year, while the state’s gross domestic product dipped slightly in the second quarter, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

August’s unemployment rate was 3.9% and has fluctuated between 4.0% and 3.9% since March. This follows a national trend of what economists are calling a “no-hire, no-fire” labor market. 

The number of job openings and the number of hires in Mississippi didn’t change much in July. There were 10,000 less separations — employees who left voluntarily, were laid off or fired — month to month. 

Gov. Tate Reeves celebrated the state’s record high for total non-farm employment at 1,205,500. This was up by 16,200 compared with August 2024. In the announcement, Reeves called it “another great day for our state.” 

Mississippi’s labor force participation rate dropped slightly in August to 55.9%. It reached over 56% in February 2025, the first time it has reached that peak since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Mississippi’s labor force participation rate has historically been at or near the lowest in the nation, and is lower than the national rate, which was 62.3% in August.

Mississippi was one of two states where real GDP decreased in the second quarter of 2025. According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, real GDP declined by 0.9%. Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting were the largest contributors to this change.

Economic numbers only tell a part of the story. I’d love to hear about how you believe the economy is doing. How easy is it for people to find a job, are you planning on staying at a job you were planning on leaving? Email me at  marketplace@mississippitoday.org.

New SUV to be built at Nissan’s Canton Plant

Nissan announced it will be building the Xterra SUV in Mississippi in 2028.

Earlier this year it announced production delays for two electric SUVs. The hybrid-powered Xterra had been discontinued in the U.S. a decade ago. Nissan and other auto makers are shifting away from fully electric autos. This follows a slowdown in electric vehicle demand and the end of federal EV tax credits.

Nissan was the first car manufacturer in Mississippi. The Canton plant opened in 2003. The Nissan plant has been described as “the cornerstone of Mississippi’s automotive industry” and is credited with attracting other car manufacturers and suppliers to the state.

Other News

• “I’m excited for the opportunities for some of these companies to come in and be able to employ people in our area,” one resident told the Roy Howard Community Journalism Center about the construction of a new technology park in Pearl River County. 
• Jabil, a manufacturing solutions provider, is investing $70 million in a new X-ray sterilization facility for medical devices in Marshall County. The investment will be spread out over three years and promises to create 24 jobs.
• President Donald Trump recently announced a new $100,000 fee for new H-1B applications. The visa allows U.S. employers to hire foreign workers in “speciality occupations,” such as engineering and medicine. Mississippi had 261 visa approvals in Fiscal Year 2025 according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. This encompassed new visas, renewals and transfers. The University of Mississippi had 22 new employment visa approvals, the highest for any employer. It was followed by the University of Mississippi Medical Center with 16.
• Entergy Mississippi announced it’s investing $300 million to upgrade its power grid. This is the biggest grid upgrade in the history of the state’s largest utility company. Entergy Mississippi’s CEO promised that this investment would not impact customers’ bills.

READ MORE: Entergy Mississippi CEO Fisackerly answers questions on data centers and electricity rates