The number of unemployed Mississippians fell to the lowest rate in October since February of 2004, according to the Mississippi Department of Employment Security.

The MDES reported that the number of unemployed Mississippians hovers around 75,000, compared to the 83,400 unemployed Mississippians in October of 2015. 

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 5.9 percent, one-tenth of a percentage point lower than September’s 6 percent unemployment rate. This one-tenth of a percentage decrease represents around 900 newly employed Mississippians, according to MDES. 

The Labor Force, those employed or actively seeking a job, increased by 6,800 in October to 1, 278,400. The number of jobs in Mississippi declined slightly to 1,139,900, or a loss of 700 jobs, MDES reported.

The MDES said that though the number of available jobs has decreased by 1,000 since October 2015, the number of employed individuals increased by 3,600.