After almost a year of continual improvement in the local job market after the spike at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the local unemployment rate increased last month.
The Illinois Department of Employment Security says that Vermilion County saw an eight percent unemployment rate in January, which was up seven tenths of a percent from December, and up considerably compared to the 4.6 percent rate at this time last year. The last time the county had a January rate that high was in 2016.
Danville itself saw the rate increase by three tenths of a percent, from 9.1 percent to 9.4 percent unemployment during the month of January. The city’s rate one year ago was the same as the county’s.
Non-farm employment in the county decreased by 800 compared to last January.
The Government (-300), Educational-Health Services (-200), and Manufacturing (-200) sectors recorded the largest employment declines compared to one year ago. The Transportation-Warehousing-Utilities (+100) and Professional-Business Services (+100) sectors reported payroll gains.
Champaign currently has a 6.5 percent unemployment rate. Urbana is at 5.9 percent. Chicago’s rate is actually larger than Danville, currently at 10.4 percent.
