Mercer Unemployment Rate Above Statewide Average

The Mercer County unemployment rate at 4.1 percent. The number is for April and represents a three-point increase from a year ago, according to data from the Illinois Department of Employment Security.
Year-over-year unemployment numbers are steady in the nearby counties of Henderson, Henry, Knox, Rock Island, and Warren.
In the region, total nonfarm employment increased by 1,800 compared to April 2022.

Leisure-Hospitality (+1,400), Educational-Health Services (+700), Manufacturing (+400), Transportation-Warehousing-Utilities (+200), Financial Activities (+100), and Other Services (+100) had payroll gains over the year. The Professional-Business Services (-800), Retail Trade (-200), and Information (-100) sectors recorded employment declines over the year.

The unemployment rate identifies those who are out of work and seeking employment. A person who exhausts benefits, or is ineligible, still will be reflected in the unemployment rate if they actively seek work.
Statewide, the unemployment rate is at 3.7 percent.