Unemployment dropped again across South Central Illinois in September.
The Illinois Department of Employment Security reported 4.9-percent of the labor force in Marion County was without a job. That’s down four-tenths of a percent from August and 1.4-percent from July. The number translates into 819 on the unemployment rolls, which is down 66 from the prior month. The county’s workforce increased by 90 workers to 16,745.
The number of unemployed dropped in every area county. Washington County has the lowest rate at 2.7-percent. Clinton County’s rate fell two-tenths of a percent to 3.2-percent. Jefferson’s County rate had a 1.5-percent drop to 4.8-percent. Fayette County’s rate was down four-tenths of a percent to 4.4-percent. Clay County had a September unemployment rate of 5.2-percent down three-tenths of a percent.
IDES reports the total non-farm employment increased 175 jobs since last September. The biggest increases were in private education-health services and government, both up 150 jobs. Construction was up 75 jobs. The biggest payroll declines were in manufacturing and trade-transportation-utilities down 175 jobs apiece.
