Economic Development

Workforce

Mississippians are accustomed to commuting long distances for quality jobs; our population increases to 229,000 within a thirty mile radius, 316,000 within a forty mile radius, and 418,000 within a fifty mile radius. According to the Pathfinders Labor Availability Study conducted in May of 2010, in addition to unemployed workers, a new or expanding employer will be able to attract employees from an additional pool of about 24,700 underemployed workers within a 40 mile radius and 52,000 underemployed workers within a 60 mile radius.

Additionally, between Pearl River Community College, Jones County Junior College and the WIN Job Center, there are a plethora of workforce training and technical programs. Additional information on Workforce Training can be found in the Community Development section. There are also various workforce training incentives offered to employers including pre-employment screening and testing and On-the-Job-Training wage reimbursement.