The Illinois Department of Employment Security says 6,800 jobs have been added back in the Centralia-Mt. Vernon labor market since the height of the COVID-19 shutdown a year ago.
But in Marion County, unemployment in April was up a tenth of a percent from March to 6.2-percent with 1,009 still on the unemployment rolls. The number in the labor force increased 179 to 16,383. A year ago, unemployment in Marion County peaked at 22.9-percent.
Washington County has the lowest unemployment in the region at 3.1-percent, but that’s up four-tenths of a percent from March.
Clinton County’s rate dropped four-tenths of a percent to 3.3-percent. Jefferson County has the highest unemployment in the region at 6.7-percent, an increase of two-tenths of a percent from March. Clay County’s rate is at 5.7-percent, a half-percent drop.
Fayette County’s rate dropped a full percent in the past month to 5.2-percent.
The job service reports of the 6,800 added since last April in the Centralia-Mt. Vernon Labor Force area, 3,450 were in manufacturing. The leisure and hospitality industry added 1,275, trade, transportation and utilities increased 750, and professional and business services increased 425. There was one area that had fewer employees than in April a year ago and that is in information sector.
The statewide unemployment is at 7.1-percent.
