How to find jobs in Mississippi

Nicknamed The Magnolia State and The Hospitality State, Mississippi (MS) is the state in the South of the United States, bordering Tennessee to the North, Alabama to the East, The Gulf of Mexico to the South and Arkansas and Louisiana to the West . In this article, I detail the jobs available in the state. N.B. All prices are correct as of 18.06.11

Economy

Traditional industry Before the civil war, Mississippi was the fifth-wealthiest state in the nation, with its wealth generated by cotton plantations by the rivers. This economic prosperity, however, came at a significant human price, as slaves, who were counted as property, accounted for 55% of the population of Mississippi in 1860. Furthermore, the state was slow to invest its immense wealth in public services, such as schools, emergency services and the transport network. Economy In some parts, as a consequence of this lack of investment, Mississippi’s income per head is the lowest in the states at $26,908 (living costs are also lowest though). It also has a high unemployment rate of 10.9% (as of 01/01/2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics). This does not mean, however, that there are no jobs in the state as a 2009 report by the American Legislative Exchange Council ranked the state as having the nineteenth best economic outlook of all 50 US states. Jobs in Mississippi are however, typically less modern than in much of the states

Catfish and agriculture industries

Catfish industry One such prominent industry is the farming of catfish. Catfish is a diverse group of tasty ray-finned fish which the ‘Deep South’ specialises in. It is quite easy to farm in warm climates, such as in Mississippi and it is also cheap to buy. Therefore, there are many jobs in this sector, although they don't typically offer much employment security. Agriculture jobs Despite the current trend towards mechanised farming methods, there are many MS jobs available in more traditional farming, such as that of crops, particularly the traditional cotton, although this is not as dominant as it once was. How to get these jobs A common way people can obtain these jobs is if the type of farming is in the family or community. In such cases, jobs may be offered informally or it may be expected that children follow the family industry. Farming jobs are made available in newspapers or online, however. Especially with catfishing, it is possible to be entrepreneurial and start up an industry, as one only needs a fishing equipment (and possibly a boat) to start off with. Indeed, this is similar to what happened in Forrest Gump, although in the “shrimping” industry.