Employment in Mississippi’s two largest counties rose between March 2024 and March 2025, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Hinds County experienced a 0.3 percent increase in employment during this period, which was the highest among the large counties in the state.
Hinds County reported higher employment numbers than Harrison County, with 109,200 employed persons as of March 2025. Together, these two counties made up 17.1 percent of all covered jobs in Mississippi. For context, across the United States, large counties—defined as those with annual average employment levels of at least 75,000 in 2024—accounted for about 73.4 percent of total covered employment.
Average weekly wages increased over the year in both large Mississippi counties. Hinds County led with a 5.2 percent wage increase; Harrison County followed with a 3.7 percent rise.
Despite these increases, average weekly wages remained below the national average of $1,589. Hinds County’s average weekly wage was $1,200 and Harrison’s was $990.
Data for smaller counties—those with fewer than 75,000 employees—showed that nearly all had wages below the national average. Claiborne County recorded the highest average weekly wage among small counties at $1,607, while Issaquena had the lowest at $601.
A breakdown across all 82 Mississippi counties showed that ten reported an average weekly wage under $775; twenty-three were between $775 and $849; twenty-two fell between $850 and $924; ten ranged from $925 to $999; and seventeen reported averages of $1,000 or more per week.
Further details are available on quarterly employment and wage statistics through BLS resources such as their Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website and related technical notes.
“Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee noted that Hinds County had the larger over-the-year increase in employment (+0.3 percent).”
The next release covering second quarter data is scheduled for December 3, 2025.
