Fewer Lauderdale County workers are looking for jobs today than anytime in recent history as unemployment numbers reach record lows.
Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show the unemployment rate for Lauderdale County in April, the most recent data available, stood at 1.9%, which is the lowest in more than 34 years. The highest rate in the same span was 12.1% in April 2020.
Meridian Mayor Jimmie Smith said the low unemployment rate is good news for the community and can be credited to hard work by both public and private employers. Government jobs account for roughly 20% of Lauderdale County’s workforce, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
“I can only attribute to the great team that we have as far as our people, department head folks, that’s doing what they need to do, and the citizens of the city of Meridian,” he said. “Because you’ve got private industry that’s hiring people, and it’s out there today.”
Investments in a variety of industries have brought new jobs to Meridian, Smith said, and more jobs are on the way. The launch of the state’s medical marijuana program also helped the city see economic growth and is expected to continue to grow, he said.
Smith said he also believes Meridian can do better and continue to improve its workforce participation. While those looking for jobs can find them, he said, too many people are not willing to go to work.
“We still got people that don’t want to work, and that still hurts our economy to some degree,” he said.
One area where the city government can improve is in educating the public about the potential jobs and careers the city offers, Smith said. Police, firefighters and freshwater utility operators provide decent pay with benefits and a retirement package, he said, but local high school students may not know those opportunities are there.
“Policing is a good job, but it’s a hard job. I mean, all of them are hard to some degree,” he said. “But they are good, stable positions with a retirement system, which is great. If you work somewhere 20, 30 years and have some kind of retirement other than just social security, that’s a better opportunity for you.”
Educating Meridian’s future leaders about job opportunities with the city is one area of improvement, Smith said, and another is to educate the city’s current workers about opportunities that are open to them. As a former officer with Meridian Police Department, he said part of the reason he has been successful is because those same opportunities were open to him.
“I remember working here about 30 years ago, and I’ve grown because of the opportunities that I’ve had and been exposed to things,” he said.
Unemployment in Lauderdale County is low, Smith said, but there is still room to improve and do even better. Meridian has the potential to do great things, he said.