THE JANUARY UNEMPLOYMENT RATE WAS DOWN IN ALL 21 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS COUNTIES. WABASH COUNTY’S JOBLESS RATE IN JANUARY STOOD AT 4%, DOWN FROM 6.2% THE PREVIOUS YEAR. IN DECEMBER, THE RATE WAS 3.3%. THE 4% JANUARY RATE IN WABASH COUNTY TIED WITH RANDOLPH COUNTY FOR THE LOWEST IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS.

THE AREA NUMBERS MIRRORED STATEWIDE NUMBERS WHERE JANUARY MARKED THE 10TH MONTH IN A ROW FOR A DECLINE IN THE JOBLESS RATE COMPARED TO ONE YEAR AGO SAYS STATE DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SECURITY ACTING DIRECTOR KRISTIN RICHARDS.

THE HIGHEST RATE IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS WAS PULASKI COUNTY AT 8.9%.  INDUSTRIES THAT SAW THE MOST GROWTH INCLUDE TRADE, TRANSPORTATION, AND UTILTIES, ALONG WITH LEISURE AND HOSPITALITY, AND NATURAL RESOURCE AND MINING.