The area unemployment rate held steady in the month of September.
Morgan County held steady at 4.6% for the second consecutive month. Cass County also remained at 4.8% for the second month in a row.
Greene County saw the biggest decrease over the last two months, dropping 2-tenths of a point from 5% in July down to 4.8% last month. Brown County, which holds the lowest unemployment in the region, fell a tick from last month down to 2-and-a-half percent. Scott County also dropped a tick to 4-and-a-half percent last month.
The area lags behind the state average of 4.4% and well behind the U.S. Rate of 3.8%.
The Illinois Department of Employment Security reported that the unemployment rate increased in all 14 major metropolitan areas over the year, despite jobs increasing in 11 of 14 of those areas. The Springfield metropolitan area saw a 1-and-a-quarter percent increase in unemployment over the year. Most other West Central Illinois counties also reflected that same percentage of increase.
Industries that saw job growth in a majority of metro areas included: Education and Health Services, Leisure and Hospitality, Government, and Other Services.