The Mercer County unemployment rate at 5.2 percent. The number is for December and represents a 1.4 percent improvement from a year ago. Unemployment is also down from year over year levels in Henderson, Henry, Knox, Rock Island and Warren counties. In the region, total nonfarm employment decreased -2,500 compared to December 2018. The Construction (+700) and Transportation-Warehousing-Utilities (+200) sectors reported the largest payroll gains. Professional-Business Services (-1,300), Leisure-Hospitality (-900), Manufacturing (-500) and Educational-Health Services (-500) sectors recorded the largest employment declines compared to one year ago. Statewide, the figures, comparing December of 2018 to December of 2019 are pretty positive says Illinois Department of Employment Security spokesperson Rebecca Cisco.
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.
The statewide unemployment rate sits at 3.5 percent with the national rate at 3.4 percent.