The labor pool in Metro Jackson is substantial, drawing directly from Hinds, Madison, and Rankin counties as well as 53 other counties in Mississippi and several states contiguous to Mississippi. This continual influx of workers, as well as a significant college student population, assures the metro area of a reliable, available workforce and gives the metro area the largest establishment-based workforce in Mississippi.

Metro Jackson’s labor force is educated, skilled, and productive---qualities essential for successful employees. To ensure companies have successful employees, a comprehensive system of job training programs, funded and coordinated by the State Community and Junior Colleges Board, allows companies the flexibility to increase employee skill levels. Every facet of industry-specific training is addressed in this multi-layered program. When a new company needs start-up training or an existing company needs retraining for its employees, a program is designed exclusively for that company at little or no cost to the company.

Mississippi is a Right-To-Work state with little union activity. The trend over recent years has been toward fewer elections with only eight held in 2002, a new all-time low. Activity to decertify unions was up with nine petitions filed. The unions won thirty eight percent of the elections, while in the manufacturing sector unions lost five of five elections. Mississippi has less than six percent unionization in the manufacturing sector and less than eight percent unionization overall.