Economist: Government is top employer in Miss.

Economist: Government is top employer in Miss.

State economist Darrin Webb says government is Mississippi’s largest employer these days.

That’s a big change from 20 years ago, when manufacturing held the top spot in the state. Webb says Mississippi lost manufacturing jobs after the North American Free Trade Agreement was put in place in the 1990s.

Webb told House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday that total employment in Mississippi grew 1.6 percent in 2013. That’s the largest growth rate since 1999.

AP
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