Mississippi is a state located in the Southern region of the United States; its name is a derivation of the Mississippi River that flows along its boundary to the west. The capital and largest city is Jackson. The state has a population of 2,951,996 (2009 est.).* Mississippi was admitted into the Union on December 10, 1817.
The gross state product of Mississippi as of 2008 was reported to be at $91 billion.** The decline of cotton prices, on which the state heavily relied on; the harsh weather conditions that caused repeated flooding that drained the state of its financial resources for levee-building; the delay of railroad construction – all these and more caused Mississippi to be ranked as one of the poorest states in the US. Today, the largest industries in the Mississippi are state and local government and durable goods manufacturing. Music, literature and the arts are integral to the culture of Mississippi, generating natives who later on became famous in the music industry; most notable of which are Elvis Presley, Jimmie Rogers a.k.a. “The Father of Country Music”, Jimmy Buffett, B.B. King, Britney Spears, Oprah Winfrey, Morgan Freeman, James Earl Jones, John Grisham, William Faulkner and Richard Wright, among many others.
The unemployment rate for Mississippi was estimated to be at 10% as of August 2010.***
| Unemployment Agency | Website | Phone Number | State |
| Dept. of Employment Security | Mississippi Website | 601-321-6000 | Mississippi Unemployment Benefits |
Below is a list of the 50 largest employers in Mississippi:****
| Employer | City |
| UNIVERSITY-MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL | Jackson |
| NISSAN NORTH AMERICA IN | Canton |
| NORTH MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL CTR | Tupelo |
| BEAU RIVAGE RESORT & CASINO | Biloxi |
| RPM PIZZA LLC | Gulfport |
| FORREST COUNTY GENERAL HOSP | Hattiesburg |
| ASHLEY CO | Ecru |
| BAPTIST MEDICAL CTR | Jackson |
| GRAND CASINO BILOXI | Biloxi |
| MISSISSIPPI BAPTIST MED CT LAB | Jackson |
| MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY | Mississippi State |
| HOLLYWOOD CASINO BAY ST. LOUIS | Bay Saint Louis |
| BAPTIST HOSPITAL/EXPRESS CARE | Jackson |
| HEALTH DEPT | Jackson |
| STATE HEALTH DEPT | Jackson |
| HORSESHOE CASINO TUNICA | Robinsonville |
| MISSISSIPPI BAND-CHOCTAW INDNS | Choctaw |
| TYSON FOODS INC | Carthage |
| UNIVERSITY OF MS MED SCHOOL | Jackson |
| US ARMY ENGINEER RESEARCH CTR | Vicksburg |
| MISSISSIPPI STATE HOSPITAL | Whitfield |
| SOURCE CLOTHING FOR MEN | Vicksburg |
| GULFPORT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL | Gulfport |
| ST. DOMINIC JACKSON MEMORIAL | Jackson |
| HOWARD INDUSTRIES INC | Laurel |
| ISLAND VIEW CASINO | Gulfport |
| SOUTHERN FARM BUREAU CASUALTY | Ridgeland |
| GOLD STRIKE CASINO | Robinsonville |
| BAPTIST MEMORIAL HOSPITAL-DESOTO | Southaven |
| SANDERSON FARMS INC | Summit |
| SINGING RIVER HOSPITAL | Pascagoula |
| ELLISVILLE STATE SCHOOL | Ellisville |
| COOPER TIRE & RUBBER CO | Tupelo |
| HINDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE | Raymond |
| SOUTH CENTRAL REGIONAL MED CTR | Laurel |
| TYSON FOODS INC | Forest |
| DELTA REGIONAL MEDICAL CTR | Greenville |
| HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO | Biloxi |
| SAM’S TOWN HOTEL & GMBLNG HALL | Robinsonville |
| LE TOURNEAU TECHNOLOGIES | Vicksburg |
| SANDERSON FARMS INC | Collins |
| ALIVE JONES COUNTY | Laurel |
| DELPHI PACKARD ELECTRIC | Clinton |
| NORTH MISSISSIPPI REGIONAL CTR | Oxford |
| RIVER OAKS HEALTH SYSTEM | Flowood |
| CHEVRON PASCAGOULA REFINERY | Pascagoula |
| SOUTHWEST MS REGIONAL MED CTR | Mccomb |
| AIR NATIONAL GUARD | Meridian |
| CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI MED CTR | Jackson |
| CORRECTIONS DEPT | Drew |
Sources:
* http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/28000.html
** http://www.bea.gov/regional/gsp/action.cfm
*** http://data.bls.gov:8080/PDQ/servlet/SurveyOutputServlet;jsessionid=6230f954c1261ab4151f
**** http://www.acinet.org/acinet/oview6.asp?soccode=&stfips=28&from=State&id=11&nodeid=12