Unemployment declined across South Central Illinois during the past month but is still higher than a year ago.
The State Department of Employment Security reported Marion County’s unemployment was 6.1-percent in February. That’s down from 7.2-percent in January, but 2.5-percent higher than in February a year ago. The February unemployment number translates into 998 people in the county’s total workforce of 16,230 being unemployed. Those actively seeking work in the county dropped by 271, while the number of unemployed dropped 84 from January.
Washington County has the lowest unemployment rate in the region at 3.2-percent, down eight-tenths of a percent since January. Clinton County’s rate is at 4.2-percent, down four-tenths of a percent. Jefferson County’s unemployment is at 6.3-percent, 1.2-percent lower than in January. Fayette County’s rate is down six-tenths of a percent to 6.5-percent while, the Clay County rate is down 8-tens of a percent to 6.5-percent.
The State Job Service reports 3,200 fewer jobs in February of this year compared to last year in the Centralia-Mt. Vernon Labor Market. The biggest loss of jobs was in educational and health services with a loss of 900 jobs, leisure, and hospitality down 725 jobs, government down 425 jobs, manufacturing down 250 jobs, and construction down 225 jobs.
