The June unemployment numbers from the Illinois Department of Employment Security shows Edwards County with one of the higher unemployment rates for the region, at 8.7 percent. Wayne County’s rate is 4.8 percent.
Some unemployment rates for neighboring counties include Clay County at an even four percent, Hamilton County at 4.2 percent, White County at 4.8 percent, Richland County at 4.1 percent, Marion County at 4.7 percent, and Jefferson County at 4.6 percent.
The IDES said that there were 600 fewer jobs compared to a year ago in the Centralia-Mt. Vernon market area. The biggest employment increases were noted in the private education-health services, up 525 jobs, and government, up 100 jobs. The biggest declines were in trade-transporation-utilities, 350 jobs, and professional-business services, 250 jobs.