Unemployment dropped a full percentage point across all counties in South Central Illinois in August from July.
In Marion County, the rate dropped from 6.3 to 5.3-percent and is two-tenths of a percent lower than last August. The Illinois Department of Employment Security reported the unemployment translates into 894 on the unemployment rolls. That’s down 189 people from July. The size of the county’s labor force also dropped from 17,176 to 16,656 people.
Washington County continues to have the lowest unemployment in the region at 3.9 percent. That’s also down a full percent from July. Clinton County’s rate was also down one percent to 3.4 percent. Jefferson County saw a 1.1-percent decline to 6.3-percent. Fayette County’s rate fell 1.1 percent to 4.8 percent and Clay County’s rate came down 1.4 percent to 5.5 percent.
Total nonfarm employment in the Centralia-Mt. Vernon job market showed 100 fewer working this August than a year earlier. The biggest increase in employment was in private education-health services up 150 jobs. Government jobs increase 75 jobs and leisure-hospitality and natural resources-mining were both up 50 jobs. There was no change in number of jobs in profession-business services or information, financial activities or construction. Payroll declines in the past year included 250 jobs in trade-transportation and utilities and 175 jobs in manufacturing.
