The Tippah County unemployment rate dropped to 2.8% in September, according to preliminary county data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s half a percentage point lower than a year ago and below Mississippi’s statewide rate. Neighboring Benton County came in at 3.5%, also down from September 2025.
Tippah County Unemployment Rate at 2.8%
The BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics program, which it runs with the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, reported these September 2026 figures for Tippah County:
Unemployment rate: 2.8%, up slightly from 2.7% in August and down from 3.3% in September 2025
Labor force: 9,535 people
Employed: 9,268
Unemployed: 267, down from 329 a year earlier
The labor force has also shrunk. About 9,943 Tippah County residents were working or looking for work in September 2025, roughly 400 more than this year. Unemployment rates only count people who are actively seeking jobs, so a smaller labor force can bring a rate down too.
Benton County Posts 3.5%
Benton County, which includes Ashland, Hickory Flat and Snow Lake Shores, had a September jobless rate of 3.5%:
Unemployment rate: 3.5%, up from 3.3% in August and down from 3.9% in September 2025
Labor force: 3,212
Unemployed: 114, down from 129 a year earlier
Benton County’s labor force also shrank, from 3,337 in September 2025 to 3,212 this September.
How the Area Compares to Mississippi
Mississippi’s statewide unemployment rate, not seasonally adjusted to match the county figures, was 3.3% in September, down from 3.6% a year earlier. That leaves Tippah County half a point below the state average and Benton County slightly above it.
Both counties improved noticeably after the summer. In July, Tippah County’s rate was 3.2% and Benton County’s was 4.2%. Rates often rise in early summer, when students and recent graduates start looking for work, and then ease once school starts again.
All September 2026 county figures are preliminary and may be revised when October data is released. County numbers are not seasonally adjusted, so year-over-year comparisons are the most reliable.
Looking for Work?
Job seekers in Tippah and Benton counties can search openings and get help with resumes and training through the Mississippi Department of Employment Security’s WIN Job Centers and online at mdes.ms.gov. Across the state line in Hardeman County, Tennessee, the jobless rate remains higher; see our Hardeman County unemployment report for details.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
