The COVID-19 pandemic will surely paint a much different picture in their next report, but the Illinois Department of Labor says unemployment rates in our area fell during January. The January unemployment rate in the city of Danville of 4.9 percent is down 1.8 percent from a year ago. Vermilion County’s jobless rate fell 1.7 percent over the year – dropping from 6.6 to 4.9 percent (in January).
In Champaign County the unemployment rate of 3.4 percent in January compares to 5.2 percent in January of last year. The numbers have not been seasonally adjusted.
The numbers are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Illinois Department of Employment Security. The jobless rate decreased over the year in January in thirteen of Illinois’ metropolitan areas and rose in one, according to the preliminary data released today (Thursday).
The report says Vermilion County gained 100 manufacturing jobs over the year, but lost one-hundred jobs in each of the categories including Education-Health Services….Leisure-Hospitality….and the Other Services categories.
Meanwhile in Iroquois County, the 5.0 percent jobless rate for January is up from 4.7 percent in December. And in Edgar County there was little change as the January unemployment rate was 4.0 percent, down a tenth of a percent from December.
