WOODVILLE &045; In October, the unemployment rate in Wilkinson County was nearly double that of neighboring Amite County, where more jobless people were actually counted, according to figures released by the Mississippi Employment Security Commission.

This oddity may be explained by the way labor market statistics are compiled, according to MSEC statistical analyst Joan Barry.

&uot;Unemployment rates are determined by calculating the percentage of unemployed workers in the total civilian labor force in each county.

To be included in the total civilian labor force, you must be at least 16 years of age and employed, or actively looking for work,&uot; said Barry.

The MSEC depends heavily on surveys from the U.S. Department of Labor to determine the total civilian workforce numbers, Barry said.

With 310 people unemployed and a total civilian labor force of 2,910, Wilkinson County’s unemployment rate in October was 10.7 percent.

In Amite County, there were 330 people without jobs in a civilian labor force of 5,770&045;thus a 5.7 percent jobless rate.

Barry said several factors might contribute to the huge difference in the two counties’ total civilian workforce numbers.

&uot;There may be more retirees in Wilkinson County, more self-employed farm workers, or more people who are not actively seeking work,&uot; said Barry, adding that commuters do not affect the count.

&uot;The total civilian workforce is a residence-based number, and workers who commute to jobs in other counties or states are still included in their home county’s total civilian workforce,&uot; Barry said.

In Mississippi, 87,601 or 6.7 percent of the total civilian workforce of 1.3 million was unemployed in October.

The statewide number of unemployed workers is up from 76,995 in September, according to MESC data.

The October figures for Amite and Wilkinson Counties do not include 320 workers displaced this month when Georgia-Pacific closed its plywood mill in Gloster.