THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE WAS DOWN IN ALL 101 ILLINOIS COUNTIES IN AUGUST.  IN WABASH COUNTY, THE RATE DIPPED TO 3.6%, DOWN FROM THE 3.9% MARK IN JULY AND 5.1% IN AUGUST OF LAST YEAR. ALL 14 METRO AREAS AND ALL COUNTIES SAW A DECLINE IN THE JOBLESS RATE COMPARED TO AUGUST OF 2018 SAYS STATE DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SECURITY SPOKESPERSON SAM SALUSTRO.

Locally, slight employment gains were posted in Retail Trade, Professional & Business Services, Wholesale Trade, Manufacturing, Information, Construction, Transportation, Warehousing, & Utilities, and Financial Activities. Employment in Other Services and Natural Resources & Mining declined slightly.

In southern Illinois, the lowest jobless rate last month was in Randolph County at 3.2% while the highest was in Hardin County at 6.1%.