Workforce Profile
The Mississippi Delta’s workforce is balanced among the manufacturing, services, wholesale/retail trade and government sectors. This provides for a stable economic environment during periods of fluctuation nationally. The region’s competitively priced manufacturing labor has fostered growth and diversification within the manufacturing sector. Average hourly earnings have continued to hold steady at roughly 75 percent of the United States average.

The Mississippi Delta’s highly productive work force has enabled the region's economy to progress from rural agriculture base to manufacturing. Other major employment sectors in Mississippi 's economy include government and services.

As one of seven states with the right-to-work law in the constitution, Mississippi has a history of a good working relationship between management and labor. Lost work time due to strikes in the state is lower than the average for the Southeast, and less than half that of the United States. The work ethic is strong in Mississippi, which is evident in the commitment the state's workers have to their jobs.

Mississippi has less than six percent union membership. This compares to a national average of nearly 15 percent. Wage rates are also competitive, directly corresponding to the state's lower than average living and business costs.

Tax Credits
The Mississippi Legislature provides state income tax credits for businesses in Mississippi that provide basic skills training (job-related training in reading, writing, or math) or job re-training for their employees.  Qualified businesses can be involved in manufacturing, warehousing, distributing, processing and refining.  To be eligible for these tax credits, the training programs must be purchased from the local community college and certified by the Mississippi Department of Education.  The tax credit per year is equal to 25 percent of the businesses' qualified training expenses.

Recruitment and Training

A. Recruitment

The Mississippi Employment Security Commission (MESC) operates offices in all surrounding counties for recruitment, screening and referral of applicants to available job opportunities. The MESC, through its network of full-service, affiliate and specialty sites located throughout the state, provides the following services to job seekers and employers.

Job seekers are provided core services at the point of reception, which are information and resources to help access resources for job-finding efforts, including the use of information and tools, whether on electronic systems, printed or audio-visual in nature, are preparatory to the job search and consist of the following:

• Determination of whether individuals are eligible to receive assistance from Adult or Dislocated Worker funding
• Outreach intake and orientation to information and other services available
• Initial assessment of skill levels, aptitudes, abilities and supportive service needs
• Job search and placement assistance, and where appropriate, career counseling
• Employment statistics information including the provisional accurate information relating to local, regional and national labor market area
• Training and vocational information
• Supportive services available in the area
• Unemployment compensation information

B. Training

The Workforce Education Program administered by the State Board for Community and Junior Colleges is designed to help provide a company the loyal and productive workforce it needs. The strategy for accomplishing this goal includes a custom job-training program designed and carried out in partnership with the company through the local community college.

The typical procedure for developing a productive work force is as follows:

Working together state and company officials communicate, plan and mutually agree on a tentative training plan to meet the company's personnel needs. Planning is very important, and both company and state officials who can make commitments must be present. The plan, which is tentative and may be altered as needed, will include such things as:

a. Company time frames for hiring and start-up schedules;

b. Job descriptions of the workforce to include required basic skills and specific job skills;

c. Job analysis and assessments;

d. Desired worker characteristics, attitudes, work ethics, physical requirements;

e. Determining location of the training program (Training could be conducted at the local community college, in a mobile unit, at the plant site, or a combination of locations.); and

f. Equipment needed for training and a procurement plan for obtaining it.

g. Strategy for instruction:

During the hiring of employees, the local community/junior college can provide a period of pre-employment training consisting of mutually agreed upon related instruction and as much actual skill training as practical. This training can take from one to four weeks with people attending on their own time. Pre-employment training is extremely beneficial to ensuring productive workers. It allows the people to demonstrate initiative in attendance, work ethics, inter-personal skills, team building, diversity training, and some specific job skills before any commitments are made by the company to employ an individual. During pre-employment training, the company is participating in an advisory capacity to the school and makes hiring commitments with only those individuals they feel will meet their needs. Legally, this is the same as when companies go to the schools, interview students, and employ those of their choosing.

h. Most costs associated with travel and lodging required for train-the-trainer instruction are reimbursable at the state's per diem rate. All travel for community and junior colleges must be pre-approved by the college and be in compliance with the State Board for Community and Junior Colleges' project guidelines.

i. Additional training services are available as part of the training program. The state has a curriculum team and a multi-media team to develop and produce (with company assistance) specific training manuals, training tapes, and laser discs to use for training purposes at no cost to the company.

j. Supervision and management courses for first time supervisors can be arranged for specific company needs.

k. Follow-up training needs:

Staff from local community college will stay in close personal contact with local industry officials and arrange for future training and services as needed.