Employment in Mississippi’s two largest counties, Hinds and Harrison, rose between March 2024 and March 2025, according to a report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee stated, “Hinds County had the larger over-the-year increase in employment (+0.3 percent).”
Hinds County recorded 109,200 jobs in March 2025, making it the larger of the two counties by employment. Combined, Hinds and Harrison represented 17.1 percent of all covered jobs in Mississippi during this period. Nationally, the largest 372 counties account for more than seven out of ten covered jobs across the United States.
Both Hinds and Harrison saw average weekly wages rise over the year. Hinds posted a wage increase of 5.2 percent while Harrison’s average weekly wage grew by 3.7 percent.
Despite these gains, both counties reported wages below the national average weekly wage of $1,589. In Hinds County, average weekly earnings were $1,200; in Harrison County they were $990.
Data for smaller Mississippi counties—those with fewer than 75,000 employees—showed that nearly all (79 out of 80) reported average weekly wages below the national benchmark. Claiborne County was an exception with an average weekly wage of $1,607—the highest among small counties—while Issaquena County had the lowest at $601.
Across all 82 Mississippi counties surveyed, ten had average weekly wages under $775; twenty-three ranged from $775 to $849; twenty-two fell between $850 and $924; ten were between $925 and $999; and seventeen reported wages at or above $1,000.
Further data on county employment and wages nationwide is available through the Bureau’s Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website.
The next update on county employment and wages for second quarter 2025 will be released on December 3, 2025.
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