Meaningful Work
Work Should Open Doors to Opportunity
What Does Meaningful Work Look Like?
Every Mississippian should have the opportunity to earn success, provide for their family, and find purpose through meaningful work.
That means creating more pathways to good careers and an environment where people and businesses can thrive.
Too Many Mississippians Are Disconnected From Work
Mississippi has one of the lowest workforce participation rates in the country, while employers struggle to find the workers they need.
The reasons are complex. Limited pathways to good careers, unnecessary requirements, and policies that make returning to work harder can all keep people on the sidelines.
We can do better.
Practical Solutions for Mississippi Workers
Remove Obstacles to Opportunity
Ensure unnecessary requirements and outdated policies don’t stand between people and meaningful work.
Turn the Safety Net into a Path to Work
Reform public assistance so earning more doesn’t leave families worse off, and connect people receiving benefits with work and training.
Build Pathways to Good Careers
Create more ways for Mississippians to gain skills, enter the workforce, and build successful careers.
Create an Environment for Growth
Make Mississippi a place where businesses can grow, jobs are created, and opportunity expands.
More Pathways to Meaningful Work
Too many Mississippians remain disconnected from work for different and often complex reasons.
We’re working to understand those challenges and advance practical solutions that help more people enter the workforce, build careers, and move toward greater opportunity.
Workforce Participation
Too Many Mississippians Remain on the Sidelines
Mississippi has one of the nation’s lowest workforce participation rates, leaving people disconnected from opportunity and employers without the workers they need.
What We’re Working Toward: Understanding why people aren’t working and advancing solutions that help more Mississippians enter or return to the workforce.
Skills & Career Pathways
There’s More Than One Path to Success
A four-year degree isn’t the only path to a good career. Skills, experience, training, and alternative credentials can all open doors.
What We’re Working Toward: Expanding pathways that connect people with the skills and opportunities they need to build meaningful careers.
Requirements to Work
Opportunity Shouldn’t Be Harder Than Necessary
Unnecessary licensing, degree, and other requirements can make it harder for qualified people to enter a profession or put their skills to work.
What We’re Working Toward: Ensuring requirements are reasonable and opening more pathways to work.
The Benefits Cliff
Moving Up Should Always Pay
For some families, earning more can mean suddenly losing benefits before they can afford to make up the difference.
What We’re Working Toward: Creating a smoother path from public assistance to financial independence so earning more always moves families forward.
Economic Opportunity
Mississippi Should Be a Place Where Opportunity Grows
When businesses and entrepreneurs can grow, they create jobs and more opportunities for Mississippians to succeed.
What We’re Working Toward: Creating a tax and regulatory environment where businesses can thrive, jobs can grow, and more people can build a better future through work.
Voices of Mississippi’s Workforce
Hear from Mississippians navigating careers, building businesses, and pursuing better opportunities—and see what meaningful work can make possible.
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Community story
State removes regulation. Entrepreneur follows her dreams.
“I never dreamed I would be here.” That’s how Karrece Stewart describes the feeling of owning her own makeup studio, Get Glam Beauty in Fulton.
August 22, 2022 -
Community story
Serving their local communities
In the small town of Louisville, Cameron Whitehead knew nearly everyone who walked through the doors at lunchtime. She’s the town’s nurse practitioner.
August 9, 2022 -
Community story
Home-based business provides new career for entrepreneur
Freedom in her career is what led Jolie Freeman to her house in Magee, where she works as a home-based travel agent for her company Southern Baggage Travel.
February 21, 2022
The Latest on Meaningful Work
Explore the latest research, ideas, and policies shaping Mississippi’s workforce and creating more opportunities to succeed.
- ArticleWhat I’m Looking for in Mississippi’s Next GovernorSeptember 8, 2026
- ResearchNew Empower Mississippi Report Finds Mississippians Want to Work, but Many Remain Disconnected from OpportunityAugust 13, 2026
- ArticleEmpower MS Releases 2025 Impact ReportMarch 2, 2026