New numbers show the dramatic impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on local and area unemployment rates. The Vermilion County jobless rate jumped from 3.8 percent in March to 17.2 percent in April. The new figures were released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Illinois Department of Employment Security.
Danville’s unemployment rate leaped from 4.0 percent in March to 19.1 percent in April. The numbers have not been seasonally adjusted.
The report shows Champaign County’s unemployment rate went from 2.5 percent in March to 10.9 percent in April. The April 2020 unemployment rates for both Champaign and Vermilion Counties were the highest on record for those counties.
When compared to April of last year, Vermilion County’s non-farm employment fell by 3,300. There were 1,100 fewer people working in the Leisure-Hospitality category in the county in April than a year ago. Manufacturing was down by 400 jobs, and the Educational-Health Services category also shows a loss of 400 jobs over the year. The Other Services category also showed 400 fewer people working this April compared to a year ago in Vermilion County.
There were huge job losses all over Illinois as the state felt the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in April. ‘’With every corner of our nation impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is time for the federal government to provide state and local governments with additional relief,’’ said Deputy Governor Dan Hynes.
