Unemployment dropped in counties across South Central Illinois in June.
The Illinois Department of Employment Security reported a six-tenths of a percent drop in unemployment in Marion County to 4.9-percent. That was 1.8-percent lower than in June a year ago.
Marion County’s workforce grew to 16,670 while the number of unemployed dropped to 815. That was a 172-person increase in the size of the workforce and a drop of 103 unemployed.
Washington County continues to have the lowest unemployment in the region at 2.3-percent, a drop of four-tenths of a percent from May and down 1.6-percent from a year ago.
Clinton County’s rate fell three-tenths of a percent from May to 2.9-percent and is down 1.1-percent from a year ago.
Jefferson County’s rate was down six-tenths of a percent to 5.1-percent. That’s down 2.1-percent from June a year ago.
Fayette County’s unemployment fell six-tenths of a percent to 4.1-percent, a drop of 1.3-percent from June a year ago.
Clay County’s unemployment is now at 4.6-percent, a drop of three-tenths of a percent from May. That’s a drop of 1.6-percent from last June.
The Illinois Department of Employment Services reported an increase of 450 jobs in the Centralia-Mt. Vernon Labor Market in the past year. The biggest gains were in government, up 225 jobs, and professional and business services up 100 jobs. The only decreases were 25 jobs apiece in educational and health services and financial activities.
