County Unemployment Rate Up from Year Ago

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Published on April 1 2016 10:59 am
Last Updated on April 1 2016 10:59 am
Written by Greg Sapp

Effingham County's February unemployment rate of 6.3% was up from the February 2015 rate of 5.5%.

The rate was slightly improved from the 6.5% rate in January 2016.

The county's jobless rate is better than the statewide rate of 7.0% for February. The state's jobless rate is also up from one year earlier.

As far as area counties and their rates:

Clay County--9.0% in February, the same as January, but up from 7.5% one year earlier

Coles County--7.2% in February, down from 7.5% in January, but up from 6.2% in February 2015

Cumberland County--7.1% in February, down from 7.4% in January, but up from 6.1% in February 2015

Fayette County--8.4% in February, down from 8.8% in January, but up from 7.5% in February 2015

Jasper County--7.8% in February, down from 8.2% in January, but up from 7.1% in February 2015

Shelby County--7.9% in February, down from 8.0% in January, but up from 6.5% in February 2015

All of the rates for the state and for counties in our area pale in comparison to the national figures.

The US unemployment rate in February was 5.2%, slightly better than the January rate of 5.3% and better than the February 2015 rate of 5.8%.