Find a Job You Really Want In
Anticipating a job hunt in 2020?
If so, you might be nervous about the state of your local job market or curious how it stacks up to rival cities. Cities in the same state can have dramatically different job markets. Job hunting in one part of the state can be a piece of cake, while in another city it can be a herculean task to just land an interview.
Here at Zippia, we love math (and jobs!), so we delved into the data to determine where in 2020 it was easiest to find a job in Mississippi.
Here are the ten hottest job markets in Mississippi.
The 10 Hottest Job Markets In Mississippi
There you have it, folks- the ten cities where it was easiest to get a job in Mississippi. Keep reading for a more detailed breakdown of how we reached these results. Your city not in the top 10? Keep scrolling to see where it landed on the full list.
How we determined the best job markets in Mississippi
We used the most recent Census American Community Survey to pull data for the main Mississippi metro areas. We only looked at cities with a working civilian population above 5,000.
While unemployment rate can tell you a lot about the local job market, it is simply one metric and job markets are complex entities. We opted to take a more in-depth look at the best job market in Mississippi.
Each metro-area was ranked 1-to-32 in four categories:
- Unemployment Rate
- Change In Unemployment Rate
- Household Income Change
- Current Average Household Income
The lower the score in each category the better. For example, the Madison area had the lowest unemployment rate at 1.8%, earning it the #1 spot for unemployment rate. The four ranked categories were then averaged together to produce our final list. The final list ranks the 32 metro areas from 1-to-32. Once again, the lower the score, the stronger the job market.
1. Hernando
Unemployment Rate: 3.63%
Average Income: $98,777
2. Ridgeland
Unemployment Rate: 4.96%
Average Income: $90,305
3. Brandon
Unemployment Rate: 2.57%
Average Income: $89,466
4. Madison
Unemployment Rate: 1.79%
Average Income: $138,806
5. Olive Branch
Unemployment Rate: 4.79%
Average Income: $82,994
6. D’Iberville
Unemployment Rate: 6.64%
Average Income: $61,861
7. Clinton
Unemployment Rate: 2.82%
Average Income: $75,688
8. Laurel
Unemployment Rate: 10.23%
Average Income: $54,376
9. Gautier
Unemployment Rate: 8.41%
Average Income: $62,260
10. Biloxi
Unemployment Rate: 9.11%
Average Income: $61,084
MEASURING THE BEST JOB MARKETS In Mississippi
You might be reading this and thinking, ‘Hey, I live in Madison and have been unemployed for months- this can’t be right!’ That’s entirely possible.
While Madison and the surrounding metro area have the hottest job market in Mississippi, personal finances can be, well, personal. Education, work experience, and occupation all play a big role in securing a job. However, overall, job seekers in Madison will have an easier time than those in cities near the bottom of the list.
Detailed List Of The Hottest Job Markets In Mississippi
| Rank | Place | Unemployment Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hernando | 3.63% |
| 2 | Ridgeland | 4.96% |
| 3 | Brandon | 2.57% |
| 4 | Madison | 1.79% |
| 5 | Olive Branch | 4.79% |
| 6 | D’iberville | 6.64% |
| 7 | Clinton | 2.82% |
| 8 | Laurel | 10.23% |
| 9 | Gautier | 8.41% |
| 10 | Biloxi | 9.11% |
| 11 | Tupelo | 5.75% |
| 12 | Southaven | 4.73% |
| 13 | Oxford | 8.32% |
| 14 | Ocean Springs | 6.99% |
| 15 | Byram | 2.64% |
| 16 | Pascagoula | 11.28% |
| 17 | Pearl | 7.41% |
| 18 | Jackson | 11.77% |
| 19 | Horn Lake | 8.52% |
| 20 | Long Beach | 6.93% |
| 21 | Vicksburg | 7.77% |
| 22 | Starkville | 8.99% |
| 23 | Gulfport | 11.54% |
| 24 | Meridian | 8.82% |
| 25 | Moss Point | 10.22% |
| 26 | Columbus | 12.73% |
| 27 | Corinth | 13.36% |
| 28 | Greenville | 14.54% |
| 29 | Canton | 5.14% |
| 30 | Hattiesburg | 13.0% |
| 31 | Clarksdale | 16.37% |
| 32 | Natchez | 10.31% |
Author
Kathy is the head of content at Zippia with a knack for engaging audiences. Prior to joining Zippia, Kathy worked at Gateway Blend growing audiences across diverse brands. She graduated from Troy University with a degree in Social Science Education.
