The Tunica County labor market area covers three states and 10 counties in northwestern Mississippi, eastern Arkansas and southwestern Tennessee. Tunica County is part of the Memphis, Tenn., MSA that supplies a workforce of approximately 700,000. Total population in the MSA is 1,348,094. Nearly 12,000 workers commute into Tunica on a daily basis.

• Tunica's population grew 13 percent from 8,165 in 1990 to 9,227 in 2000 with an estimated current population of 10,600.
• Mississippi is a right-to-work state. There is one union operating in Tunica County in a company with 100 employees.
• Tunica County average unemployment rate for 2004 is 8.9 percent.
• Areas of growth in Tunica County employment are gaming/tourism, retail, transportation and agriculture.
  
  

MISSISSIPPI EMPLOYMENT SECURITY COMMISSION
Quick Reference Sheet

* Amounts provided by U.S. Census Bureau.

** Amounts provided by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

*** Amounts represent statistics from the Covered Employment and Wages programs. The amounts represent employees that are covered under the state's unemployment insurance law. Average weekly/annual wages and establishments for federal employees, railroads, elected officials, religious institutions and self-employed individuals are not included.

Generated by the Labor Market Information Department, MESC.

Current Employment Sectors

Unemployment Insurance

• Employers having five or more employees must purchase workers' compensation coverage through insurance carriers or qualify with the Mississippi Workers' Compensation Commission as a self-insurer.
  
• Compensation can be up to two-thirds of the state average weekly worker's wages with a minimum weekly benefit of $25.00 and a maximum of $264.55 for claims occurring on or after January 1, 1996. Maximum time for disability is 450 weeks. Total maximum benefits per disability is $119,047.50 excluding medical treatment and services for claims occurring on or after January 1, 1996.

Web site: Mississippi Employment Security Commission

Tunica County is home to a WIN Job Service Center, a function of the Workforce Investment Act. The center provides convenient one-stop employment, training services and program information to employers, job seekers and those wanting to advance their careers. Two computer labs, video conferencing and skills testing are available.

The WIN centers offer employers free job postings, Contentbase of qualified workers, recruiting and screening of job candidates and proficiency testing for employees and other benefits. WIN centers coordinate with other state agencies to coordinate training. The Tunica WIN center works with Northwest Community College and Coahoma Community College to deliver training needs.

Training can be customized to your needs and conducted at your location or at training centers located around the state.

NWCC Industrial Start-up Training

Workforce Training and Development is available to business/industry through the Workforce Development Center (WDC) at Northwest Mississippi Community College. The Center has offices in Senatobia, Batesville, at DeSoto Center in Southaven, at Lafayette-Yalobusha Center in Oxford and Olive Branch. The centers currently serve more than 100 businesses through 89 training partnerships.

These training partnerships provide critical resources necessary to ensure training success.

Computer labs are located in Oxford, Batesville, Ashland, Holly Springs, Southaven and Olive Branch. These labs are dedicated to business/industry training and can be reserved for software- specific training, or companies can elect to send participants to classes scheduled by the center.

Mobile training units are available to provide training space on site if needed. These units can be equipped as computer labs with maintenance training equipment or set up as classrooms.

Industry training manuals, videos, and CDs can be developed to provide site-specific training. The industry provides the step-by-step instructions. Technical writers edit this information into the script for the training format, either manual, video or CD. This provides companies with a confidential, site-specific training resource to use as needed in their training programs.

Funding is available to offset the cost of training. Realizing that some training is so specific that industry personnel or vendors are the most qualified source of trainers, the program allows for reimbursement for the trainer's time and travel expense. There is also help with the cost of training materials, books and supplies.

The WDC has qualified staff to deliver training in areas such as:

There are many other areas of training, from SPC to GD&T to Lean Manufacturing to Command Spanish to Serving Safe Food that the center can provide. It also serves as a Spatial Information Application Center and offers training in the uses of remote sensing, Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Geographical Information Systems (GIS).

Northwest Mississippi Community College has a unique partnership with business and industry in the 11 counties it serves. Through the flexibility of the state's guidelines for workforce training, any company can take advantage of the customized training assistance and resources offered through the Workforce Development Center to meet its technical professional and personal training needs.

* Amounts provided by U.S. Census Bureau.

** Amounts represent statistics from the Covered Employment and Wages program. The amounts represent employees who are covered under the state's unemployment insurance law. Average weekly/annual wages and establishments for federal employees, railroads, elected officials, religious institutions and self-employed individuals are not included.

All other amounts prepared by the Labor Market Information Department of the Mississippi Employment Security Commission.

The Tunica County School System is a single, consolidated entity governed by the county Superintendent of Education and a five-member Board of Education, elected by registered voters.

The system currently has more than 2,400 students enrolled in grades K-12 and is growing at the rate of about 100 students per year. All buildings and facilities have been modernized and upgraded recently, and a new elementary school and middle school were built in 2002.

The system holds a current valid accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Tunica County pays the highest teacher salaries in Mississippi and has the second highest per student expenditure.

Type Facilities Enrollment (2004-2005)

*Students enrolled at the Vocational/Technical and Alternative schools are included in enrollment figures of the county high schools.

• Teacher/Pupil Ratio - 1:17
• Total Faculty - 183
• Total Staff - 390
• Public Expenditure Per Student - $11,118
• Graduation Rate - 82%
• Average Composite ACT Score - 17.2
• Median years of school completed for persons age 25 and above - 12.2

Private Schools

Tunica County offers one private school, Tunica Institute of Learning (TIL). Current enrollment is 170. Accreditation is through Mississippi Private Schools Association. TIL serves students K-12.

• Current Enrollment - 170 (K-12)
• Accreditation - Mississippi Private Schools Association
• Tuition - $3,900 per year

Community Colleges

Northwest Mississippi Community College is a two-year college offering more than 60 courses of study within seven academic divisions. Its two locations are in Southaven - 30 miles north of Tunica, and Senatobia - 30 miles east of Tunica. Northwest is accredited by the Mississippi Junior College Accrediting Association and by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. NWCC offers the associate of arts degree in more than 50 academic areas of study and the associate of applied science degree in more than 50 vocational and technical fields.

Coahoma Community College is located 25 miles south of Tunica County and offers vocational training opportunities as well as opportunities similar to NWCC's.

Public Universities

The University of Mississippi has an extension campus in Southaven, 30 minutes north of Tunica County. Degrees in business and education are available on this campus, as are graduate degrees in these fields. The university offers research opportunities and initiatives in multiple disciplines.

Mississippi State University is part of a cohesive town-university community with the growing agricultural-commercial-industrial town of Starkville. Located in the eastern part of north-central Mississippi, it is 125 miles northeast of Jackson and 23 miles west of Columbus. The university is a comprehensive, doctoral-degree-granting university offering a wide range of opportunities and challenges for learning and growth to a diverse and capable student body.

Delta State University offers a broad range of graduate, undergraduate, and continuing education programs leading to degrees at the baccalaureate through doctoral levels. The university pools the resources of several colleges, schools and academic support offices to offer a wide array of career preparation programs of study.

Centers for Advanced Vehicular Systems are in Canton and Starkville. These centers provide research and development for the automotive industry as well as a strong commitment to applying advanced technologies to workforce development. The centers carry out research in the assembly process.

Each of our state's universities offers specialized centers of development in many fields. Two of the most well-known are the Polymer Center at the University of Southern Mississippi and the Acoustical Center at the University of Mississippi.

For additional assistance with your site selection process, please call the
Tunica County Chamber of Commerce at (662) 363-2865 or e-mail marketing@tunicachamber.com.