Alcorn County Unemployment at 2.9% in August, Below State

Alcorn County unemployment stood at 2.9 percent in August 2026, according to new county-level figures from the Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES). That puts Alcorn County below both the statewide rate of 3.2 percent and the national rate of 4.3 percent for the month.

The figures come from the MDES Labor Market Information Department’s monthly county map. The county numbers are not seasonally adjusted, so they can move from month to month with things like school calendars, harvest work and holiday hiring.

Alcorn County unemployment compared with neighbors

Alcorn County posted the lowest rate of the three counties in the Corinth-Iuka-Booneville area. Here is how Northeast Mississippi counties compared in August:

• Alcorn County: 2.9%
• Prentiss County: 3.1%
• Tishomingo County: 3.1%
• Lee County: 2.9%
• Itawamba County: 3.0%
• Tippah County: 2.7%
• Union County: 2.6%
• Mississippi (statewide): 3.2%
• United States: 4.3%

All three of our coverage counties came in at or below the state average. Across Mississippi, August rates ranged from a low of 2.4 percent in Jones and Rankin counties to a high of 9.1 percent in Jefferson County, according to the MDES map.

What the numbers mean for Corinth and the region

An unemployment rate under 3 percent generally points to a tight labor market, where most people who want a job can find one and employers may have to work harder to fill openings.

Nearby economic development projects could add to the demand for workers. In Tishomingo County, construction is underway on the nearly $13 million Yellow Creek Port expansion near Iuka, and area schools are working to steer students toward skilled trades, like the mobile trades lab that visited Baldwyn High this week.

A low rate does not tell the whole story, however. The unemployment rate counts only people who are actively looking for work, so it does not reflect those who have stopped searching, people working part-time who want more hours, or how much jobs pay.

Where to find work in Alcorn County

Job seekers in Alcorn, Prentiss and Tishomingo counties can search openings and get help with resumes and training through the state’s WIN Job Center network, run by MDES. Services are free and include:

• Online job listings through the MississippiWorks system
• Career counseling and skills assessments
• Referrals to training programs, including workforce classes at Northeast Mississippi Community College
• Help filing unemployment claims

MDES releases county unemployment figures each month, usually a few weeks after the statewide numbers. Alcorn News MS will keep tracking how Alcorn County unemployment changes heading into the holiday hiring season.

Source: Mississippi Department of Employment Security