The Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES) is a federally funded state agency. The programs of MDES, under direction of the governor of Mississippi, report to the federal government.
The U.S. Congress appropriates all funds expended to administer employment security programs. Funding for the Employment Service labor exchange functions comes from the federal Wagner-Peyser Act. Funding for the Unemployment Insurance Division comes from Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) on employers and is allocated to MDES by the U.S. Department of Labor. All federal funds received by MDES are cleared through the state treasury, and authority to expend these funds is granted by the state legislature.
MDES provides an array of services from WIN Job Centers located throughout the state. The WIN Job Centers are the centerpiece of the WIN in Mississippi system, which provides convenient, one-stop employment and training services to employers and job seekers. WIN Job Centers also provide unemployment payment services to workers during temporary periods of unemployment. The Labor Market Information Department gathers and disseminates labor force data used by private industry and public agencies for planning and resource allocation.
Mission Statement:
Increasing Employment in Mississippi
