Mississippi's Workforce Woes
Lieutenant Governor Hosemann Announces Investigation
Investigation to Determine How $350 Million in Workforce Funds Are Being Spent
Mississippi Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann (R) announced on Tuesday that he had appointed State Auditor Shad White to conduct an interim performance audit on workforce training programs in Mississippi.
The audit will examine how the state is spending $350 million a year in workforce training funds and whether those funds are being used effectively to train Mississippians for in-demand jobs.
Hosemann said the audit was needed to ensure that the state is getting a good return on its investment in workforce training.
"We need to make sure that the money we are spending on workforce training is being used effectively to train Mississippians for the jobs that are in demand," Hosemann said.
White said his office would begin the audit immediately and would report its findings to the Legislature and the governor.
The audit is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Mississippi has one of the lowest labor force participation rates in the country. In December 2021, the state's labor force participation rate was 57.8%, compared to the national average of 61.8%.
Hosemann said he believes the audit will help the state identify ways to improve its workforce training programs and increase the state's labor force participation rate.
"We need to get more Mississippians into the workforce," Hosemann said. "This audit will help us identify ways to do that."
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