Labor Force
In staffing a new facility, prudent management prefers to staff its production workforce with workers whose ages form a normal distribution curve. This provides for stability, flexibility, and continuity of know-how. Over 43.3% of the population within a 30-mile radius of Madison County falls into the prime working age group of 25-54.
Labor Participation
The labor force participation rate within a 30-mile radius of Madison County is 47%. Within a 10-mile radius, the participation rate is 51.2%. The labor force participation rate is the percentage which results from dividing the civilian labor force count by the total civilian population.
| 10-Mile | 20-Mile | 30-Mile | |
| Description | Radius | Radius | Radius |
| Labor Force | 74,351 | 183,600 | 216,453 |
| Percent | 51.2 | 47.0 | 47.0 |
Unemployment Rate
Madison County continues to have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the metropolitan Jackson area. Madison County has historically had one of the lowest or the lowest unemployment rates in Mississippi.
To view our the various unemployment rates in MS, please click the link below.
| Description | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
| Madison County | 3.5 | 2.9 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 4.7 | 4.8 | |
| Mississippi | 5.8 | 5.0 | 7.0 | 6.4 | 5.4 |
Underemployment
In the 30-mile labor draw area, 16.6% of the resident labor force had household incomes of $15,000 or less per annum in tax year 2004. This is equal to approximately $7.21 per hour based on a 2,080-hour work year common to business and industry and represents some 56,788 residents. Workers from this relatively low earnings group are among the first to respond to more rewarding job opportunities and are a valuable source of experienced, recruitable workers to new and expanding industry and business.
Not in Labor Force
Due to the inherent elasticity of the workforce, as more attractive jobs become available, people not currently a part of the labor force or who have withdrawn from the labor force are drawn into the pool of available labor. These people constitute a large group of potential workers who can be recruited to jobs that provide an attractive wage and benefit package. Within a 30-mile radius of Madison County, there are over 125,644 people over 18 who are currently not participating in the labor force. These are people who are fully capable of entering the labor force, given sufficient opportunity and/or motivation.