By Rita Howell
Panola County’s unemployment rate mirrored a statewide uptick for the month of June, with a rate of 8.2 percent, an increase over the May rate of 7.8, according to the latest report of the Mississippi Department of Employment Security.
 The state’s average jobless rate in June rose to 6.8 percent from the 6.0 recorded in May.
When compared with the other 81 counties, Panola actually had a better rank, 56, up from 63rd in May.
 The county with the lowest unemployment for June was Rankin, with 4.5 percent. The worst rate was recorded by Jefferson County, with 17.6 percent unemployment.
Panola had recorded a 16-year low jobless rate of 6.1 percent in April.
The MDES shows Panola with a labor force of 13,700, with 12,580 employed and 1,120 unemployed in June.
Panola’s June numbers were the lowest for that month in five years. Last June Panola recorded a rate of 9.4 and five years ago, in June, 2011, the jobless rate was 14.1.
Compared with the six surrounding counties, Panola has a higher percentage of unemployed people than Tunica (7.5), Tate (7.0), Lafayette (6.7), Yalobusha (7.1), Tallahatchie (7.0), and lower than Quitman (10.7).