Mercer County Unemployment Rate 6.4 Percent

The Mercer County unemployment rate sits at 6.4 percent.  The number is for January and represents a nearly 2-percent improvement from the same period a year ago, according to the Illinois Department of Employment Security. Unemployment is also down from year over year levels in Rock Island, Warren, Henderson, Henry and Knox Counties mainly due to employment gains in the Leisure-Hospitality, Manufacturing, Professional-Business Services, and Educational-Health Services sectors.  11 of the state’s 14 metro areas added jobs compared to one year ago says IDES spokesman Bob Gough.

Statewide, the unemployment rate is 5.3 percent with the national rate at 4.5 percent.