The Mercer County unemployment rate is at 6.5 percent. The number is for January and is compared to an unemployment rate of 6.2 percent at the same time a year ago.
Unemployment rates also worsened year-over-year in Henderson, Henry, Knox, Rock Island, and Warren counties, according to data released by the Illinois Department of Employment Security.
Statewide, the unemployment rate stands at 5.4 percent.
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.