Natchez &8212; The number of hurricane evacuees in the area has contributed to an increase in unemployment numbers, local officials said.

Stats from the Mississippi Department of Employment Security show the Adams County rate is up from 12.2 percent in September to 13 percent in November.

In Concordia Parish, the November 2004 rate of 9.7 percent was 13.6 this November.

Peggy Ballard, MDES branch director for Adams County, said the numbers reflect Katrina evacuees who have secured Natchez as their residence.

&8220;I think a lot of the ones who decided to stay (in Adams County) have roots here,&8221; Ballard said.

In Mississippi, the October unemployment rate was 9.6 percent. Nineteen Mississippi counties have double-digit unemployment rates. Coastal counties, Harrison with a rate of 20.2 percent and Hancock with 20.6 percent have the highest unemployment rates in the state.

The news isn&8217;t all negative in Louisiana though, said Linda Odom, regional manager with the Louisiana Department of Labor.

&8220;Central Louisiana gained a lot of people from Hurricane Katrina and Rita,&8221; Odom said.

Central Louisiana is one of the highest job gross areas, she said.

And Adams County may still benefit, Ballard said, with some evacuees thinking about starting local businesses.

Since the hurricane, employment rates among professional and business services like legal and consultation practices continue to drop, while retail trade employment showed a gain in Mississippi.

MDES has increased federal funding for the Workforce Investment Act, a job contract that reimburses a business half of the training salary for an employee. Employee eligibility is not limited to Katrina victims. She also said the branch hired a reintegration counselor with Katrina evacuees struggling with the barriers of unemployment, daycare and housing.

Ballard said she&8217;s concerned about losing touch with

evacuees in the area, &8220;we can&8217;t help them, if we can&8217;t find them.&8221;