By Rita Howell

After posting the lowest jobless rate in six years in April, Panola County’s unemployment rate was back in double digits in May, according to the latest report from the Mississippi Department of Employment Security. Panola’s unemployment rate jumped from 9 percent in April to 10.5 percent in May.

The last time Panola’s rate dropped as low as 9 percent was in January, 2008, MDES archives show.

Panola County’s increase in unemployment for May mirrored the state’s rate. The average jobless rate in Mississippi increased from 6.8 percent in April to 8 percent in May. Nationally, the unemployment rate went from 5.9 in April to 6.1 in May.

In comparison to the surrounding counties, Panola was higher than Lafayette (6.3), Tate (9.8), and Yalobusha (9.5), but lower than Tunica (13.5), Quitman (12.2) and the same as Tallahatchie (10.5).

Panola is ranked 61 out of the 82 counties.

Rankin County has the lowest jobless rate, 4.8, and Issaquena has the highest at 16.8 percent.