Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mercer County unemployment rate at 5.5 percent. The number is for February and represents a 1.7 percent improvement from the same period a year ago, according to the Illinois Department of Employment Security. Unemployment for February is also down from year over year levels in Henderson, Henry, Knox, Rock Island and Warren Counties. In the region, total nonfarm employment decreased -600 compared to February 2019. The Educational-Health Services (+1,400), Construction (+200), Wholesale Trade (+100), Financial Activities (+100), and Leisure-Hospitality (+100) sectors reported the payroll gains. Professional-Business Services (-1,300) and Manufacturing (-1,200) sectors recorded the largest employment declines compared to one year ago. Statewide, the February unemployment rate is 3.5 percent with the national rate 3.8 percent. But the U.S. Department of Labor reports Illinois’ unemployment filings increased to a record 178,000 last week with national filings jumping to six-point-six-million due to the coronavirus outbreak.
