The state of Mississippi is currently dealing with a job recession. The economist for the state, Darrin Webb, recently made it clear that the state was dealing with a job recession when he provided Mississippi’s Business for the month of August. Webb made it clear that a number of jobs were lost during the month of June and that the current employment level in the state is only around 500 more jobs than it was directly after the Great Recession ended. Webb also said, “The National economy continues to grow, but it too is weakening. Employment improved in July, but there are few bright spots in this economy. Gas prices, which had been giving consumers a much needed break, are now creeping upward. Consumers have curtailed spending. Vehicle sales remain strong however and there are some signs of life in the housing sector. But this economy has clearly lost momentum. The risk of recession has not changed however. It remains at 25 percent.”

The employment picture is definitely dreary in the state of Mississippi but many citizens are looking for the sunshine after the rain. There have been some improvements in the number of jobs available, particularly jobs in the healthcare sector and the social services sectors. These jobs are considered higher paying jobs and the number of these positions available has actually increased each and every year for the past eleven years. This statistical information on the number of these jobs available was provided by the Mississippi Department of Employment Security. This particular sector represents a total of 11 percent of the nonfarm jobs in the state. The numbers of jobs available in hospitals have only increased by a small amount. The vast majority of the growth has come from ambulatory care position.

One of the best job categories in the state, however, is considered non-farm proprietor employment, which has increased by a total of 43 percent. The non-farm proprietors are considered business partners or self-employed individuals. Many people in the state are starting their own home-based business or are running online stores. With such a major decline in the amount of available jobs within the state, a number of people decided to give self-employment a try, believing that it would be the best available options for them since they were unable to find other jobs. It seems to be working, especially since a large number of people have become self-employed and are sticking with it. While the general outlook may seem dim, citizens of Mississippi do have options.