Unemployment rate falls below 10 percent for first time since 2009

ACROSS MISSISSIPPI — Mississippi’s unemployment rate fell to 9.9 percent in January, as the number of people with jobs rose.

It’s the first time unemployment has dipped below 10 percent in the state since September 2009.

The jobless rate was down from 10.4 percent in December and 10.5 percent in January 2011. Despite the decrease, Mississippi had the fifth-highest jobless rate among the states in December.

The number of unemployed fell to 133,700 in January, down from more than 140,000 in both December and in January 2011, according to seasonally adjusted figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The number of people looking for jobs fell by 2,500, partially accounting for dips in both the number of unemployed people and the unemployment rate.

Mississippi payrolls fell by 1,000 from December, when seasonally adjusted.