JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Unemployment rose in Mississippi in July for the second straight month, as the state's job market continued to sputter.
The state's jobless rate rose to 9.1 percent, from 8.8 percent in June as the number of people with jobs fell.
Numbers were released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Mississippi's jobless rate has been falling since hitting its post-recession peak of 10.9 percent in July 2011.
But that progress has reversed as the national economy struggles.
The number of unemployed Mississippians rose to more than 121,000 from 118,000 in June, well below 147,000 from a year ago.
A separate survey of employer payrolls shows the number of nonfarm employees in the state fell for the third straight month and was also below its July 2011 level.
