Workforce

Workforce Facts:

• Greater Jackson Workforce area has a population of 780,000 and a labor force of 400,000
• The Greater Jackson region has an unemployment rate of 10.1%
• Mississippi is a  Right to Work state, which permits individual workers to choose whether or not they wish to join a labor union 
• Mississippi was ranked 6th for the lowest unionization rates in the U.S.
• Greater Jackson has 7 colleges/universities and 3 community colleges, with a total of approximately 5500 graduates per year.
• This region has a hidden workforce of approximately 205,000 residents, consisting of the under-employed, the not-employed who want to work, residents working part-time but wanting full-time employment, and recent college graduates.
• There is a strong relative base of working residents in ten occupational groups
   

Regional Workforce & Labor Market Assessment

This Labor Market Assessment report was produced for the Greater Jackson Alliance (GJA) by Younger Associates (YA), and the Wadley-Donovan Group (WDG).  This assessment summarizes the labor market conditions of a thirteen-county region in south-central Mississippi consisting of Attala, Claiborne, Copiah, Hinds, Holmes, Leake, Madison, Rankin, Scott, Simpson, Smith, Warren, and Yazoo Counties.  This study uses information obtained through surveys of labor-related issues among employers and among the working age population in the region, and a review of key secondary statistical information.  The employer survey gathered information from area employers concerning the availability, quality, and cost of labor; the quality and utilization of educational institutions and training resources; the role of retirees in the workforce; and the future demand for workers.  The labor supply survey results allowed us to quantify and profile the region's regular labor force and its hidden labor resources.

For more labor and wage information, please see the attached PDF files in the right hand column.