Unemployment in Panola County hit a four-year low in April going down to 10.3 percent from 11.3 percent in March.

The latest figures from the Mississippi Department of Employment Services show 13,930 people employed in April as opposed to 13,730 in March.

There were 50 more people in the estimated labor force in April (15,530) than in March (15,480). The labor force is defined by MDES as the estimated number of people eligible for work or actively looking for work.

The number of unemployed dropped from 1,750 in March to 1,600 in April by MDES estimates.

Just three years ago in April 2009, the unemployment rate was 11.3 percent. And, just a year before that in April 2008, the rate was 7.3 percent. Last year the rate was 12.3 percent.

In comparison to the six surrounding counties, the Panola unemployment rate was less than Tunica (14.0) and Quitman (11.2) but higher than Tallahatchie (9.3), Tate (9.4), Yalobusha (8.7) and Lafayette (6.3).

Initial unemployment insurance claims for April (120) were less than March (150). Continuing claims in-creased from 1539 in March to 1621 in April.

Mississippi’s unadjusted unemployment rate for April was 8.3 percent, decreasing four-tenths of a percentage point from the previous month’s rate of 8.7 percent. When compared to the April 2011 rate of 10.0 percent, the rate decreased 1.7 percentage points.

For the month of April 2012, only 27 counties in Mississippi posted unemployment rates less than or equal to the state’s rate of 8.3 percent.

The unemployment rate decreased or was unchanged in all but five counties, and the rate was below 15.0 percent in all counties. Rankin County posted the lowest unemployment rate for the month of April at 5.2 percent. Holmes County had the highest unemployment rate for April at 14.9 percent.